A History of Bridget: One of the Most Impactful Characters of All Time
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2022
- #guiltygear #guiltygearstrive #bridget
Over 20 years ago, Bridget debuted in Guilty Gear XX. A lot has happened between then and her reappearance in Strive. So let's talk a bit about one of the most impactful characters in video game history.
CW: Around 7:30-9:20 I talk about the more problematic legacy of the character in connection to "trap" memes.
9:38: Ope, meant to say fourth.
📎🎨: .irasutoya
🎶: Rainy Blue: Make a field Music
🎶: A Simple Life (Bridget's Theme): Daisuke Ishiwatari
🎶: Long night moon: Make a field Music
🎶: 東京ローファイポップ: NEKOZOU - เกม
![[HIGHLIGHT] หมีLIVEปะ? | EP.171 เห็นแต่ในจอ วันนี้มาต้องขอคารวะ](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gPWLxa0e_Z8/mqdefault.jpg)
Back when I first heard of Bridget, I thought I was a gay man for Bridget
Then I came out as a trans woman
3 days later Bridget came out as a trans woman
Now I am a gay woman for Bridget
The universal rule that everyone is gay for Bridget is taking affect.
Same
same
Balance has been restored.
Me fr
Favorite part out of this is that Goldlewis is canonically an ally
I think one of my favourite memes to come out of all this is someone doing a model reskin of Goldlewis as "awkward, oblivious, but earnest dad supporting his trans daughter"
Ita that big badass older guy who doesn't quite get it but has your back.
Big dad energy
*slams whiskey on the counter* WHAT'RE YER PROUNOUNS PARTNER?
goldlewis with older himbo energy
Goldlewis CIA groomer energy
Brisket: "Im a girl"
fans: "there's gotta be an explanation for this, show me the japanese version, because subs over dubs amirite haha"
Briget: "onnanoko desu kara"
fans: "uhhh, there- uh, there's gotta be- wait just a sec" *forges a fake email* "there, definitive proof!"
developers: "Bridget is a girl, also that is illegal"
Literally lmao, On'nanoko means girl, she literally says she is a girl, yet theyd try and spin it for their own preferences which is so gross (denying a chracters gender and character arc just because they are attracted to a certain type of genre) even though its pretty much a 1 to 1 translation
@@bruhino9797 cute character gets cute nicknames
@Jamie Korondo someone misspelled bridget in an edit with a heart, it was like "brisket
While I hate anime fuckboys, and am happy to have Brig as a trans icon I feel the devs didn't execute it very well. They gave modern Brig an androgynous (masculine version i believe) pin on her hat even in Strive. This could be excused because she didn't realize she was trans until a bit later in the story. Also, her being trans is a major contradiction from her original arc. I just feel the devs could have done it better overall.
Dude really doesn't like being told sub is better than dub
"They've transcended human existence, just like me" is a fucking hilarious and amazing quote
It rules. One day I hope to be as cool as Daisuke
10:59 missed an opritunity to say
"It wasnt just that bridget was coming back, she was coming out"
I was waiting for it.
/LMAOOOOOOO MISSED OPPORTUNITY
fr
"What if I make the wrong decision?"
"You've got your whole life ahead of you, kid."
"And there are helping hands right in front of you"
I almost cried😭
@@YouShouldYourselfNow ok
I did cry. Lol. It reminds me of how I wish things had gone with my parents.
@@YouShouldYourselfNow What?
@@YouShouldYourselfNowAnd you felt the need to try and invalidate someone's connection to an honestly very touching little bit of dialogue becaaauuuuuse?
@@YouShouldYourselfNow Different things bring different emotions to people. What brings tearful emotion to you may not do the same for another. But have empathy for others and you can understand that we are all different.
I find it hilarious that she comes out then immediately fights the person the came out to
Illyria’s healthcare system works where rather than paying you have to beat the doctor or someone in a duel. Ky’s just providing a quick and easy win to ensure she’s got her estrogen supply all prepped and ready /s
It's just a trial, we all have to fight when we come out because we usually don't get support from everyone and when she got support she entered the confuse mode and decide to attack on sight
@@Breidablik06 i shall now incorporate that into my head-canon
It's normal for trans people, we become more chill after a few months
No witnesses
"In some ways, it feels kind of like meeting an old friend again, but, y'know, now you're both girls, and you kinda laugh about it."
This happened with me and a high school buddy, good stuff 🏳️⚧️
Yeeeeeaah, that was based on a true story lol
I have weird totally cis gender troubles and the brisket makes me feel part of something
My girlfriend had this with her old besty from elementary school and it sounds like it was adorable
happened to me with my closest childhood friend, & now we both run small community nonprofits for local trans youth lol
I believe the relevant words of wisdom are: "Daisuke said so."
amen
Daisuke didnt even know what transgenderism was a couple years back, but hey, facts are useless to nutcases who chop off their genitalia and think they're better than everyone else.
Yet with Oda and Nagatsuki you tend to ignore their words.
@@yoman8027 chief i dont have a clue who they are
@@lizabeth529 One Piece's and Re:Zero's authors.
You know, after all this time, I grew to love Bridget even without knowing much about fighting games, I literally just purchased Strive for my cousin a few hours ago and we played a few matches, and now coming here to learn more about Bridget, I am INCREDIBLY disappointed to find out that she's British.
Most executives: we cant have queer people thatll upset china and russa. Make it so we can easily cut them.
Daisuke in the 90's after snorting 3km of coke: im making a nonbinary character AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME!
(few years later
Oh sh*t there wasnt backlash. GO WILD GUYS!
Well.
One of china's most popular TV celebrity is Trans woman.
Don't get me wrong.
China has transphobia problem, but they are getting better.
They will even pay for gender reassignment surgery if you didn't commit a crime which is not ideal, but it's still better than my supposedly progressive western country.
"Y'all cool with that ? Neat ! Anyways- *throws giant teddy at the community* SHE's back ! have fun !"
You could say he struck back? Perhaps, went excited?
He got them out of their way?@@blightybog7207
@@blightybog7207 maybe even got them out of his way? perhaps he didn't care!
most condensed version of bridget's story and cultural impact that there could likely be without missing something too important. i like to personally belabor the point that the "otokonoko" rebuttal is paper thin and honestly kind of meaningless as a retort in the first place, but i think "they ended up having to fabricate an official email which was later corrected by the official ASW account" does a good enough job of showing that.
as for my take on bridget, i resonate uncomfortably well with the ugly route she's taken to get where she is. the lingering questions--is it right for me? do i even want this? is it for myself or because of someone else?--are so foundational to me, and i've certainly got a number of years on her to the point where some of that trepidation has already begun turning to the kind of regret Goldlewis cautions her on (regardless of whether his reasons are or aren't queer by nature).
while i also enjoyed and appreciated bridget as "simply" a GNC person trying to assert their identity over some (frankly bizarre) local cultural superstition, it's very resonant to me for that bridget to get years to achieve something meaningful, mull it over, and find that their pursuit of that identity was hollow and unfulfilling; that, while their feelings of chafing against their upbringing are valid, it doesn't mean they were meant to find happiness in a (moderately) spiteful negation of it. XX Bridget wants to prove her people wrong; Strive Bridget has nothing left to prove to anyone but herself.
as an aside, i appreciate that you pronounce Kiske as the name would actually be pronounced, given it is a real name.
great video.
Thank you. I love your framing of the difference between XX and Strive as Bridget either trying to prove something to other people or to herself.
I think a lot of people would’ve found it more okay and impactful if she was in Xrd or in strives story and we got to see her actually go through the arc of questioning her identity
@@pariah23475 i think the reality would make us both sad in that many many people are just ideologically opposed to her being trans and they'd find something else to poke holes in
@@schitzie That I agree with, there'd still be discourse regardless, but I think showing what happened between the 6 year timeskip would be a lot more fulfilling
@@povertyeditor4898 i hear that, it does feel like a missed opportunity
why do people even get upset about her being trans. I don't see what's wrong with it. It seems like it's just dudes who are afraid to say they think a character who is trans is attractive and cool. I've related to so many cool characters in games and movies, so I understand how big it is to have someone that you can relate to as well. Hopefully in the future there are more cool characters for everyone to relate to.
From watching the comments here and twitter it seems to be either 1. people that are just looking to argue and don't care about the series 2. people that are uncomfortable with a trans character being cool or 3. well-intentioned people that took the bait from the other two.
When it comes to trans characters I prefer Capcom's Poison. She's better trans representation than Bridget. The twin boys thing, being raised as a girl, becoming trans. You're pretty much cheering a John Money 2.0 in Guilty Gear Strive.
@@xzgears929 Disagree. Poison seems to portray trans people negatively as trashy street whores/criminals. Even Capcom themselves left their gender as unknown (understandable to take the "safe" PR route), yet the point of LGBT view is that they identify what they identify as, and Bridget *canonically identifies* as a female. The storytelling of her upbringing (alongside the well thought out character development based on her *clear* identification as a female) is significant and allowed viewers to be appreciative and understanding towards Bridget. Can you really say anything similar for Poison?
Does it really count as trans representation if you didn't make it evident that the representation is openly trans? You know, the point of representing, instead of leaving it to interpretation.
I think its mostly there upbringing and or religious belief. I am not really into discrimination of anyone so I dont see any problems.
@@raven3696 while it is a bit ambiguous I kinda like that if poison really is trans that she's presented as the sexy one. Idk I just think it's cool
"theyve trancsended human existence just like me" GIGACHAD
I'm GNC, and Bridget was an icon for me as a teen, that I could exist as femme AND male at the same time. It was incredibly important for me.
I'm older now with my own established identity, and even though Bridget has come out as trans, I feel they're still more influential than ever in giving trans individuals a space to express and exist unapologetically in their own right, and I'm glad that anyone that needs an icon like Bridget has her. 💖
BRIDGET RAISING TWO GENERATIONS OF LGBTQ+ ICONS LIKE: 🪀🧸♂➡♀💖
Dios mio, el ogro americano....
For the first time in a while, I can scroll through comments on a Bridget video and not call it doomscrolling. It feels nice ❤
I'm glad. I try to delete the transphobic bait comments when they pop up.
@@RickiHirschThank you for that.
@@RickiHirschThank you!
It is genuinely wild to me how quickly and how widely GGST has kicked in the door on representation in fighting games. It's also wild to me how Bridget has highlighted how many people tend to look at representation as a zero sum game, in the sense that when a character is revealed to have a gender identity or a sexuality other than what they had previously, people feel something is "lost". The mental gymnastics around that arcade mode clip have been absolutely wild - everything from "It's the bad ending so it's not canon" to "Okay it's canon but it's handled poorly because it directly contradicts the most important part of Bridget's character"
Even ignoring the folks who are probably acting in bad faith out of the gate: I don't want to insinuate that being a GNC cis boy is anything other than valid as hell but I have to wonder if this is how they'd react to a GNC friend they knew personally coming out, and that idea makes me sad.
Importantly, I think the arc that Strive adds on to Bridget's existing backstory is one a lot of people can relate to - that gender identity isn't a thing that you figure out once and never have to reflect on again; that we can be caught between multiple, mutually contradictory external pressures for who to be and have to find a path to tuning it all out so we can be ourselves.
For anyone who experienced this character's new arc and feels seen: nobody can take that away from you.
100% agree. I was surprised to see people claiming this was a "retcon" and not a development. You nailed it though. Some people see gender as a fixed thing and representation as a zero sum game. To me, the messiness of the story makes it hard much harder that often isn't talked about.
I agree. If I understood you correctly, it sounds like you're saying that people struggling with gender identity experience a lot of external noise and it can take lots of time and experience to tune all of that out so you can listen to what's going on inside you. Even as someone who hasn't struggled with their gender identity I can relate to this.
@@movieman5773 I think you pretty well got it.
i experienced a lot of bigotry online when i first accepted myself as a girl and i had been around a lot of transphobic femboy traps tbh
I personally disagree mostly because it feels like it took away a lot from their original message of “I look and act feminine but I’m a man and I think that’s okay”
Past that I think it proliferates poor stereotypes like “Your trans because someone groomed you that way.” Due to her upbringing being her being raised as a female while they really weren’t a female then being kicked out of their village for wanting to identify as a man.
Ultimately as a man who is the manliest and Carries a lot of feminine traits it’s sad to see another example of people like me being told to “if your not a man just become a woman”. Or be seen as weird fringe closeted Trans people.
It’s hurtful ya know to hear that kind of thing then to have my favorite video game series reinforce that people who are more feminine than masculine should just become the other gender is hurtful.
You'll love this. So, so much. Okay. So! Bridget's Japanese lines? _Uchi_ is most traditionally used in the Kansai regional dialect as distinctly feminine-the _atashi_ to the more neutral _watashi_ in standard Japanese. But it doesn't stop there! I had so much fun breaking this down. These are the actual Japanese subtitles:
"(ウチ)[は]... (女の子)[です]{から}!"
(Uchi) [wa]... (onnanoko) [desu] {kara}
(I)[topic particle](girl)[verb copula]{because/therefore}
The fact that uchi ウチ is in katakana is a topical indication that the intended reading of whatever kanji it should be is up for grabs.
家 uchi-Feminine I/Me
内 uchi-Inside (metaphysical)/within.)
"Because (inside) I'm a girl!"
The trans experience is so many layers deep that we really should be yelling at these people to GET OUTTA OUR SWAMP.
Oh wow, this rules so hard!!! Thank you
Wow, look who doens‘t understand otokonokos.
@@zawarudo8991 She is never referred to as that in official materials and you're just using the existence of them as an excuse to ignore canon. Grow up.
You are doing nothing but completely ignoring the entire video and the actual contents of the game so you can throw a tantrum.
@@zawarudo8991 Do you mean 男の子 or 男の娘? Just gotta ask which foot you're starting off stumbling on.
@@Alice-May cOpE sEeThE
A lot of people (rightfully) are made uncomfortable by the fact that she was forced into being fem, but at the end of the day, Bridget could've become more masculine if she wanted to. She tried to, but it's obvious in the story that she didn't like it. Mainly cause, y'know, she literally says that she is a girl at the end.
There is definitely a "well, it's a good thing they picked the right twin to raise as a girl" vibe underneath, but it's basically fine.
@@JackgarPrimeyeah, very big coincidence!
I know in real life if some cis person was raised as the opposite gender they’d have an awful life
But Bridget isn’t cis, so it’s fine for her
As a cis het dude, I’m happy about this. Like I don’t have to personally identify with her experience to be elated when she came out and came to terms with herself. I think everyone can relate to that feeling of “something” missing and coming to terms with who you are. I can also feel second hand excitement from those who feel represented by a character as we all know how powerful it can feel to have a character you personally relate to and see yourself in.
Also, man cringe otaku really try finding every excuse for a trans character to not be trans, one piece immediately comes to mind, Wano having 2 explicitly trans characters who people will still debate despite the literal “bath house” scene conforming how these characters identify. Also not saying those representations were perfect just that they were unambiguously trans.
I was really hoping the bath house scene would put that to rest but I shouldn't be surprised when having characters directly say they're trans doesn't either.
@ what characters do you mean? Because I tought one piece had a whole island of trans and non-binary characters, my favourite being bon-chan
@@RickiHirsch Yeah but then they deny by saying it goes against the backstory of the character, that they changed her for progressive point and that she is vad representation.
I like bridgette but is she bad representation or good? Most of this is because she was forced to dress as a girl due to superstition but does this ruin her transition? Honest question
@@tomasfong40 I agree, the origonal character of Bridget was much more intricate and complex. To me just making him/her 'trans' is a massive copout that makes the character 'trendy' but much more one-dimensional.
For me the origonal 'Every one is gay for Bridger' meme more equated to:
If you are a boy and you hit on Bridget you must be gay because Bridget is a boy.
But if you are a girl and hit on Bridget you must be gay because Bridget looks and acts like a girl.
So, everyone is gay to/for Bridget!
@@GarryGri you do know im in the trans rights camp right?
I saw her trailer at EVO,
Bought the game
Bought a fightstick
Beat her arcade mode
Cried
came out a few months later
Thank you Bucket for saving my life.
Thank you brisket
Thank you Budget
Thank you basket
Thank you Brinket
Thank you Britain
You know what? I think I understand why Bridget means so much to people. Thanks for making this video.😊
What is that profile picture? What did you do to my dear Vaggie?
I’m a trans dude but god Bridget’s story reminds me of mine.
Multiple times in my past I remember being called a boy or asked if I was trans, but I denied it.
Untill I had that single realization of holy shit, I’m a dude.
And I still struggle with the fact that I’m trans and question if I’m just pretending.
But then I remember, If I really was pretending, then I wouldn’t be asking myself that question in the first place.
God bless Bridget, I love you girl.
BUT I HATE FIGHTING AGANIST YOU RAGHHHHH
That's too real. I had the same moment in my own process where I realized that cis people probably never ask themselves if they're trans.
Ah yes, a backstory of being forced into the opposite gender by your parents to avoid death.
That is definitely a trans story and not literal forced feminization or anything..
Sarcasm aside, you are kidding me, right?
@@FireGlitch stop leaving out the rest, you lying weirdo. Her parents had her know she was AMAB and they wanted her to live as their son. You're just outright lying AND ignoring Strive.
Yeah I used to deny it when I was hella tomboy in high school and someone would ask if i was a boy. Just instant fear would kick in so cue the fake laugh all "omg I get that all the time! No I'm a girl." I said. Like a total fucking liar. But baby trans me was scared, I'm not too harsh about my past decisions.
It was genuinely such a beautiful day seeing my entire twitter timeline light up and celebrate Bridget's return and have her come out as a trans woman. Great vid!
Guilty Gear is an iconic character dispenser tbh. So many great characters, the gigachads Slayer and Potemkin being my favorites
Perfect video explaining all this. I didn't even know the whole backstory and people made it out to sound like Bridget was "groomed" and that if you support Bridget being trans you're supporting "grooming", shit like that. So I'm glad to learn how damn progressive this game series has been and honestly feel like playing it now. By the way they talked about her it made me think she was in multiple games and had this epic saga and concrete story that's been built up over decades, only to find out she's in two games now and one set up the backstory and the newest one paid it off essentially. God that's so cool.
I'd honestly tell those people to watch this video to get a full break down in the best way I've ever seen. But I feel like they're not really the type to listen to anything that's even remotely pro-LGBTQ+, if they're willing to go to great lengths to loop through hoops to say "No, Bridget is boy and a t***. Clearly it was just many many translation errors and also they were totally kidding and sarcastic when they came out and clearly stated Bridget was a girl."
God the amount of times someone says "he*" and that's it when replying to someone correctly gender Bridget is so annoying and pathetic. I'd suggest they're trolls doing it to annoy people but honestly I think they're the annoyed ones that they have to oh so unfortunately see a "political" character exist in the video games.
Unfortunately, there have been a lot of comments like that here lately. I just delete them but I do wish they would just watch the video or read the interview where Daisuke directly said "she's trans and I always intended for this to be her character arc." I assume most of them are here just to get a reaction though.
*he
...r. She's a her.
Jokes aside, I completely agree with you. I've been out of the loop about the whole Bridget situation for quite a while now, and this video was pretty useful and in-depth.
She's playable in two, but I'm pretty sure also mentioned in Xrd. I think she was chillin with Jam at the restaurant.
Edit: My fault that was XX
I am tragic degrees of CISHET, but even without personally having a horse in the race, it’s been a delight to see Bridget be a rallying point for folks. For every bitter argument I see over her, I feel like I see ten more people taking joy in the cute badass finding herself. I don’t disagree with your speculation she could be one of the most socially impactful characters in the medium. The enthusiasm is infectious, it does my heart so much good to see her so celebrated as the rad character she is ^_^
Gives me hope it’s signs of y’all seeing more acceptance and inclusion to come
Thank you for this video and sharing your own experiences. I was one of those people who had general knowledge of Bridget for years, but once I saw Bridget's coming out scene in Strive on Twitter, I thought "Wow, she's so strong! I wish I could do that!" and then realized I could. Bridget's strength helped me come out as trans after almost a decade of confusing gender thoughts, cause she made me realize I can be as strong as her by just being honest with myself. I'm very thankful for her.
That's incredible. I know I'm a stranger on the internet but I'm happy for you.
People have the right to be happy with who they are. Straight, gay, trans, bi, whatever. We all deserve to be happy. As me and one of my friends like to quote Optimus Prime from Transformers, "Freedom is the right of ALL sentient beings."
Daisuke is secretly god incarnate, he knows all and every. He always know what he’s doing, he has a plan.
ALSO ky! For the love of god start caring more for than sin instead of a random gal!
KY: My son is fine. If he came out I would support him
Sol: You aren't even supporting him now. He forgot your name yesterday
As Daisuke said, like Testament, Daisuke has transcended humanity.
My Bridget hoodie is one of my most treasured possessions, it's my armor. She is a hero to me.
I learned about Bridget back in high school from those same memes you talk about in the video, but I was never into fighting games so I didn't look more into the character.
I never really vibed with my agab, but I just thought everyone didn't really -feel- like their agab. Being from a very small town with limited internet access, I had no real clue that there was an explanation for those feelings, but I hid them away because I saw how folks mocked the boys who didn't act like stereotypical jocks and soldiers-in-waiting.
After dropping out of college, I started kinda questioning my gender sort of passively. I stopped putting as much effort into putting on a masc face. I joined the Air Force (pro tip: don't join the military if you have any reasonable choices, y'all. Just don't.) and eventually kinda figured that, hey maybe what I'm feeling about my gender isn't actually the "norm".
After I left the military in 2017, I started questioning my gender more actively, even coming out to my wife in 2019 as non-binary. But that didn't stop the questioning, I started seeking out more online queer spaces (like my FC in FFXIV) and spending time with kinds of people I never really had access to. In late 2020 I finally came out as trans fem at 30 years old.
By the time Bridget made her way into Strive, I was already actively taking hrt and had transitioned publicly. I picked up Strive and started playing (I'm super amateur casual wood league but that's okay). Seeing her story was the best, and having a full throated "I'm a girl" from a character who had been amab just made me absolutely fall in love with her. I needed a character like that, and it wasn't until I got it that I really knew just how much I needed it. 💙💖🤍💖💙
You got me emotional reading this. I also assumed everyone just didn't feel like their agab until I mentioned it to a friend at my all-boys high school and he gave me *the most* confused look. Wishing nothing but the best for you.
That's honestly adorable
@@mothemonster9454 :3
Y’know I may be a man who related to Bridget pre-strive, and it does kind of upset me that I’ve lost my representation, I’ve also kind of made my peace with it.
It warms my heart to see all of these new people see Bridget being officially trans and just… being overjoyed, like I was realizing Bridget was a dude so long ago.
I may not be LGBTQ+ but I have friends who are and it warms my soul to see so many others find joy in the little things.
I decided to look up some video essays on Best Girl™ Bridget to cheer me up, and I have to say, from one trans adult who discovered her and went a little crazy when she got added to Strive, you ABSOLUTELY captured why the queer population loves Bridget at large. Getting a hard confirm on a queer character was someone I wouldn't have bet on for my 2022 bingo, but damn am I happy to be wrong! I love her dearly; seeing her brought back as a canon trans woman brought so much joy into my life.
when Bridget came out she's the reason I gave guilty gear a shot and am now in love with fighting games.
And like, that's what good representation can do. She's the second trans feminine main character I've ever played as and it's so heartwarming to think that there's finally a trans-girls in a video games. It's also fairly soul crushing to think that in the 19 years I've been playing video games only two characters ever has been representative of me.
I have a list of LGBT media, so I opened it to check for games (Most of it is anime or manga though, so tell me if you're also down for that)
"Dragon Quest XI" has Sylvia which was removed in localisation but she is openly genderqueer in Japanese.
"BlazBlue" has SOMETHING going on, I've not played it but I heard it's got a lot of good LGBT things in it.
"Celeste" is one everyone kinda knows already.
“Tell Me Why” is a game I heard about in the wild. I know nothing about it.
“AI: The Somnium Files” came to my attention cus people were raging about it, give it a try?
“Catherine” Gonna be honest, feel iffy including this one cus people apparently do not like Erica?? I thought she was cool??
“Granblue Fantasy” Another game series I know nothing about but saw in another list
“Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door” In a case of localisation censorship, you will need to play this in Japanese (Or find a fan translation, if one exists, that restores it.)
"Tomato Clinic" is a super adorable Visual Novel, and the makers did a bunch of other stuff like A Year Of Springs.
@@TheGreatBackUpVIDEOS most of those I've played and my specific gripe is not being able to play a story about a transfemme character. Celeste is the only game I can think of where the whole narrative is about someone who is transfemme.
Games like Catherine: Full Body and PM:TTYD just have character's who are genderqueer. That's great, but I'm not looking for side characters.
@@VivBrodock I see.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
I hope to expand it with more series as time goes on.
why does it feel weird to hear people call her bridget instead of brisket or bucket
tbh, I catch myself calling her Brisket more often than not
She's my main when I was a kid because the idea of a YoYo weapon is so damn cool, I completely lost my shit when she's revealed.
Also, remember when she used to launch people to the fcking moon?
Shoot the moon (literal)
i love the part where she says "it's bridgettin' time"
and bridgeted all over the place
truly the brisket of all time
Update that doesn't involve bridget in the slightest: 50 years of bridget discourse
The illusion of choice
I just saw your tweet about how her story was always intended to explore this direction and found your content - I don't know how I missed it, but I did and I'm so glad you showed up on my feed. Thank you for this video!!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
bridget hit really hard for me as a recently out trans woman. after a long process, i began medically transitioning almost exactly a month before her release. to see a character who was dealing with the same struggles i had for so long, at a time when i was so vulnerable, and to see her so embraced by not just the FGC community (something i'd never touched before) but by everyone at large, and to see the transphobes assholes constantly getting shut down meant a lot and gave me a lot of hope for being able to really be myself publicly.
This is such a good video. I've been having the "character assassination" argument for a week now but that take lacks no critical thinking whatsoever. I have not heard a single reason to be upset about Bridget's transition that isn't rooted in blatant transphobia. They tried so hard to hide it too. It's sad, honestly.
Personally, I've come around to thinking a lot of that noise comes from folks that don't actually care about the series or character. They just want to argue about something or, like you said, vent transphobia. It really is sad.
I am ashamed to admit I have been extremely on the fence about this for the longest time.
_Most_ of the company I've kept over the years till recently have always ended up pushing me away from being comfortable with myself, and the bi product is always a willingness to dismiss others journey to justify my own stagnation.
It also doesn't help that Im a people pleaser by nature, so the "upset" people have always been the ones I cave in for first. . .
I'm not sure where my own journey is going still, but opening my eyes proper has been a start.
At 11:00 , you could have said "It wasn't just that Bridget is coming back, but also coming out"
I missed such an easy layup smh smh
"Because... im a girl now!"
And thus, twitter blew up
Thank you a lot for this video, is a great way to share the history (and story) of Bridget and her influence.
(Also, you made me cry a little ngl)
💜
Thanks a ton for making this video. I’m not sure what else I can contribute to the comments here that other comments haven’t, but Bridget’s resonated with me in a way that very few characters ever have. Without going into much detail, my experience with my gender and the conflict between how I want to present myself vs. how I feel I’m obligated to present myself is messy as hell. Seeing a character go through such a difficult and seemingly convoluted journey when it comes to her experience with these exact issues and come out the other side as one of the happiest, most upbeat characters I’ve seen in recent years really struck a chord with me.
Totally unrelated, but I love Goldlewis Dickinson so much. Everything about the guy is so gloriously ridiculous (the bit at 11:48 really sells it lmao) but it all just comes together so well.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Goldlewis on release and now he's one of my favorite characters in the series. I don't know how Daisuke balanced such an absurd concept with the surprising depth that comes out in Bridget's arcade story but he did it!
Her theme does an excellent job explaining it all, its about being confused about what she needs, being scared a little about it, knowing that she really knows what she needs and clearing this "grey haze" is her actually accepting herself and the lines "I'm out of patience, my body is light, Let's paint the gray haze into sky blue" is pretty much the same as the "I am a girl" line from the game.
And since the director of the game composed her theme, I find it mind boggling that people think he was forced into doing this to appeal to LGBTQ+ people
I've been questioning for awhile now, ever since one of my friends posted a meme about "the cis male urge to be a cute anime girl" and I thought she was serious. I recently came out, but it wasn't really fully there. Then I found Bridget, and that shit broke my egg so hard it started increasing my tension gague.
im still confused, how is there an entire town inside her???
HRT has a side effect where it grows a mini town inside you that you gotta take of as the mayor.
Cause of everyone's vpice
@@st4ppsthat's why Trans people tend to enjoy Animal Crossing, it gives us practice for The Towns Inside Us
I was introduced to Bridget the other weekend and I later decided to watch parts of their story mode. When I got to the part where she said, “I’m a girl,” I felt such an immense sense of joy afterwards that I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt in my entire life. Bless Bridget, dude. She single-handedly got me into Guilty Gear.
Such a wonderful video, thank you for sharing your story, I genuinely think it's so brave of you to be so open about your expiriences like that.
I only play strive to button mash as Bridget BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING SHE REPRESENTS
As a fellow trans girl myself, I love Bridget. She made me wanna get into Guilty Gear when she got into Strive. Before that, I didn't know much about the series. Crazy how much joy one bounty hunter who happens to be a cute trans girl can bring to me and so many others.
this video deserves more views - thanks for sharing your experience: looking forward to more of your content
Discovered Guilty Gear some 10+ years ago and really connected with Brisket along with a few other characters on the roster at the time (notably Dizzy, Venom, and Jam). Now, many years later I'm starting to realize that feeling of connectedness to Bridget might be rooted in something deeper than just 'character cool'. I think Bridget being able to accept who she is has helped me to develop the courage to ask those same questions about myself.
One aspect that goes to show jut how impactful Bridget was that you didn't touch on is that she is literally the ORIGIN of the term "Trap" as it's used for anime characters. It all began with her being posted on 4chan in the 2000s and people posting Admiral Ackbar "it's a trap!" gifs as a response. Like, her cultural impact is actually insane and many people aren't even aware of it, some words seemed to have always been there, you know? When you think about it, her arc as a character is wild to see. Add that onto another layer of why certain annoying people are still upset about her... Blah, sorry to bring tired discourse into the comments. It's inescapable these days
I tried not to dwell on that point but you're right. It's unreal how big her cultural impact has been. There are folks out there only now realizing now how much this character has impacted them without them even being aware of her. It's absolutely wild to see. Also unfortunate that the discourse is still ongoing even though it's been a year since her re-release.
Can't believe I'm falling on this rabbit hole about Bridget being trans or not; I'm from the Philippines, so stuff like this is new to me. Prolly got recommended this, because I was reading up on stuff regarding genders; Because my cousin came out (He still only told me; As his parents are what I call "Mega Christians"). He told me that he was pansexual and that he has trans friends; So I had to read up on stuff to be able to support him.
From the things I've noticed in media, or atleast the response from said media, regarding LGBTQ+ representation is that people seem to need a 40 page explanation on why they are trans or what not; A straight character being straight, is fine, but if the character is LGBTQ+, the response is why are they LGBTQ+? It kinda pisses me off, maybe because I have 2 cousins that told me when they came out; And I'm just overprotective cause I'm the eldest brother in the family, but it pisses me off why they even need to explain why they are the way the are. No one asks me about why I'm straight; But my cousin being gay keeps getting talked about behind his back, "Maybe his gay because..." or "Why is he gay, is it because of?", and other horrific shit I don't want him to hear.
This is just a rant to get stuff out of my chest, both of them told me not to tell anyone; So this is my only outlet.
Hearing her conversation with Goldlewis and especially Ky, I felt something click with me. Bridget cracked my egg.
And I’ve never been happier
Hell yeah!
You forget the part where he says he is a man in the japanese voice where he says he is a man. He never said he is a woman.
Guilty Gear Strive voice line - Bridget states "Uchi wa....otoko desu".
"Uchi wa" is a first person possessive description, in feminine form.
"otoko" means male.
"desu" is a state-of-being word.
Together it means "I am...a man", being said in a feminine manner.
@@simonw.1223are said she's a girl. She was confirmed to identify as a woman. Stop.
I definitely have issues with how it was handled, and it definitely feels like we are just accepting of any rep, but I'm happy for those happy about it. One issue, which maybe this is just because of the logic part of my brain is fried because of a birth defect, and therefore have bad comprehension issues, but it makes me happy and sad many lgbt people say they can relate to bridget. I personally don't know a single trans person that aligned with their agab, forced into an identity other than their agab, and came to the realization that everyone was right about their identity. I am a transman, pre everything, and spent a little over 30 years living as a woman. Maybe it is a common experience that I am unaware of but when people say they relate to Bridget's story, that's what it feels they are alluding to.
I do have other issues, but those are harder for me to articulate. Far, far harder. Again, I am genuinely happy for those happy about the situation /story development /whatever way you want to phrase it. Bridget has been one of my favorite characters for nearly 20 years and regardless of thr changes/developments bridget will always be a character I hold dearly. A character that means a lot to me. The first character I had an affinity for and learned about without owning any of the games at the time.
Oh the topic of you bringing up the word trap, I personally stopped using it for effeminate cross dressing men ages ago when I noticed it was more often than not, at least currently, being used as a way to belittle and dehumanize transwoman. I am alright with the word when used exclusively for effeminate cross dressing men but exclusively being used in that context. Outside of that specific usage I see it as a slur. And a very harmful one. And imo, the trans defense shouldn't exist. It's gross both homo and transphobia.
I did go out of my way and confirmed the cowgirl line only plays if you lose a round, which I think is neat. In a run where no rounds are lost, the credits roll after bridget bows. It's just a neat little thing I've noticed and gone out of my way to make sure I wasn't being misinformed on.
Anyway, bridget is a fantastic character and I love the new design tho I do miss the nun outfit. Mostly because it was a cute design I have been attached to for years. The hoodie is super cute too and I want it. And a roger plushie. :)
I've heard a lot of people communicate this kind of worry, but it feels more like it stems from perception than from canonical facts, as the lore goes on to specify that "Bridget began to think that behaving like a man and bringing home a vast array of riches would prove that the superstitions were unfounded". This part is I believe actually one of the most important ones, as it extremely reflects the experience of many trans people people boymoding/girlmoding, generally acting like their AGAB simply because being out sometimes just... can't be done. Either the context they live in doesn't let them, or their parents would feel uncomfortable or guilty... it's not easy. Nobody would want to do that. Neither didi she.
She "never wanted to run away", she "was very motivated". So now that she's free, now that she doesn't have to be something for the best of others, now she understands that she has to be true to herself, for her own good.
As much as most people bring up this point just to call others "groomers" or "Jhon Money supporters", I understand why a lot of trans people think of this. It sort of aligns with the thought process behind the impostor syndrome a lot of people feel: there is a need for "genuineness" in their being out as trans, there needs to be no stains in their gender or else it feels... wrong. And I am very sad that this feeling is the first to come out, because it blocks the path to understand one of the key points of her story in Strive: in this story she's not doing something for someone else. She's uninfluenced by others' desires, except their desire for her to be herself. She doesn't want to run scared anymore. She doesn't want to regret what she will do with her life. Not for others, but for HERSELF.
Her character isn't about being trans, about gender dysphoria, about the discrimination of trans people nowadays.
Her character tells a story about doing the right thing for yourself THROUGH her being trans. And that is I believe, one of the most important parts of her.
Also, I actually really like her new design because it's both very different and kinda self-referencial to her old design :D
@@shezedks I like your explanation. That definitely does help, especially since I learn best from people explaining things directly to me. I thank you deeply for being respectful and explaining in another perspective I haven't heard yet.
One thing, I don't have a source for atm because I am on mobile that does make me feel way better about it, is apparently Daisuke wanted bridge to be trans from the start but they wasn't allowed to back then for whatever reason, so they (I think Daisuke uses they?) gave bridge conflict so they can still, sorta, do what they wanted with the character. I think that's specifically why the superstition was added?
And same. Idc if the jacket is like $100 whenever they release it I'll buy it lol.
@@alexdavis3848 I don't really think, honestly. Daisuke has said that they just had a spot for a cute girl, but that just making them a cute girl wouldn't make them any special, so they chose for them to be a boy and so Bridget was born (alot of people use this as proof that she's actually a boy, but that interview was from 2009, so i'm pretty sure Daisuke could've changed their mind in the meantime, y'know, 13 years). I have heard that Daisuke didn't have that big of a hand in Guilty Gear XX's side stories (no source, just a rumor that might've started the one you heard) and basically only made Bridget's base character with no real hand on the rest. That could be linked, perhaps?
I would wait an official interview with Daisuke or something to honestly tell.
Although, it's interesting to think about the original intentions and how somewhat the artistic view shift transitioned with Bridget she's a 20 year long "Before and After", and could be a very good spot to analyse what changed in the style of Daisuke.
'Ts interesting nonetheless
honestly not having played gg i thought that video was fan made and she was just trans from the start a new character, this is so much better and its kinda unimaginable that some big thing like this would handle it so well, its cute as fuck, these moments of accepting yourself are so special to me and to have these two supper masc characters support her wholeheartedly is just lovely
I have a friend who is a trans woman and she loves Bridget despite never playing a fighting game before and only seeing GG from osmosis through me. She's iconic. Additionally, Bridget and Ky's conversation in the hard ending is a very impactful and deep dialogue that I have never seen in any game, much less a goofy fighting game
This may be weird, I dunno, but as a cis white guy, Bridget finding herself is inspiring. I feel like there's another part of me I'm not looking at, not gender but something else I'm not fixing. I just need to find it. It's somewhere in the town inside me.
Seriously, the message that you shouldn't change who you are and do things that hurt you to make others feel better or out of fear of their reactions is a good one.
Every so often I remember this video. I go back to watch it and feel really happy. World's really fucky right now. But Bridget and her wonderful song reminds me that the world can't change me anymore, no matter what people in high places think and try.
Shit do be fucky out there. Reading comments like this has been a big source of resilience for me when things seem hopeless. Thanks for that.
This resonates with me in ways I can't even begin to describe. Fiction holds a lot of power over our realities, and I find it inspiring to see how it has moved people to better places in their lives.
Great video, its always nice to see relatable characters in video games, even if we dont know the history of the character, just seeing that one scene is enough to give people courage to stop being closeted., and i see it. im glad that there are more characters to relate to. it makes me understand how people work. Rather than argue online.
How very wholesome. I'm happy that I've found such a sweet video.
i love biscuit, command grab and fast character and trans rep? sign me the fuck in :3
Bridget is the personification of all smiles and enjoying life, accepting and overcoming, while I'm a Dizzy main Bridget is second in terms of favorite character in Guilty Gear in general not just Strive lore included
Bridget being the level of good trans representation that she is has such a big impact. It just goes to show that if we actually get good honest to God representation we will come out as an army to support it. There is and will always be a market for good representation
Great Video! I learned a lot
Absolutely wonderful video 💙
Sobbing listening to all this in my room at 6 am..
When you mentioned being engaged that hit hard for me as I had been engaged not long ago and that engagement ended with me coming out as trans. My partner didn't like it and we came to and understanding separating as I had been more willing to pursue my own identity than continue to stay closeted. Your story and the video as a whole really hit a nice note inside me, thank you♡.
I'm sorry that we share that experience. It was rough period to go through. Wishing nothing but the best for you.
I may not be in the gg fandom, but I think Bridget has given me the courage to come out to my mother, she means a lot to me even if I don’t play the game
Good for you!
I've watched this video out of curiousity and ngl, I got very emotional at the end. Fantastic video
Fem boy to fem queen 💅🏾
i like to belive when daiske said just like me in the newsletter what him saying is that he like a third level demon from hell that just chilling out on earth on vaction and instead of making chaos he likes make games
really awesome vid, was a joy to watch thank you a lot :)
This is one of those videos where people actually put their heart and emotions and experiences into this. I'll be proud to be one of your subscribers.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it
To see a trans-character in media that isn't pulled out for a joke, or fetishization is probably one of the best things that has ever happened. Time and time again trans-people are pushed to the side (trans-women specifically) for one-off jokes or simply to fetishize them. Honestly so happy to see such representation. Our future looks Bleak sometimes, but at other times... I'm reminded at how far we can still go to get better representation, and hopefully better lives as trans-people. Anyways BrisketBall supremacy, love her or hate her, she's always ballin.
Really interesting to watch, so glad for her and that she could be such a popular representation of our community ^^
Thank you for sharing this story. I've been wanting to get into Guilty Gear mostly because of the music, but it's also really cool to hear that this game series has had such a great impact
the joy this video gave me was enormous u made me cry of joy hearing ur story and bridgets
I learned something. Big thanks
Bridget helped me come out as bi, believe as not. And now all these years later, she's trans... and I could not be happier. The LGBTQ community has been pretty damn good to me, especially when my own family was... less than supportive.
Shine on, you adorable crazy diamond...
Thank you for this.
Hi! I’m actually someone who just found this video bc I had a clip from the game between a mint haired girl and that guy u said was androgynous. I was so confused to why he had a deep voice bc like Anime (not knowing it was a game) doesn’t do that. So I looked it up and saw a video of a mod about a trans Bridget skin and I was like “what trans in an anime fighting style game”. So then I looked up Bridget and here I am…anyways as a Nonbinary individual this makes my heart happy to see this kind of representation in an “Anime” style kind of game. I’ve been watching Anime (and playing games) my whole life and it’s made me who I am I can’t say again how beautiful this is to see. REPRESENTATION IS SO IMPORTANT! Thank you for coming to my Tedtalk 🧌.
Beautiful video by the way definitely subscribing!
As a trans woman, I can definitely say that she definitely was the push I needed. I don't need to write my entire life story but just know, it was enough, and I am happy now.
I'm glad to hear it 😊
This is one of the best Bridget videos I've seen, it really put so much into perspective how meaningful it is for her story to go this direction both in-universe and in the meta sense!
It really exemplifies why Bridget means a lot to trans fans both then and especially now!
- she typed while wearing a Bridget cosplay for Halloween
“Cowgirl is fine. Because I’m a girl!”
Words to live by 💪
14:03 "And this is a messy, complicated story, but..."
For a second, I thought that was gonna be followed with "welcome to Guilty Gear".
Strive is a game like this, I'm glad that Bridget was character like this for many. But for me it was Testament, they came out (in strive) around a year after I made peace with thoughts that I'm not nesesery cis and I'm enby. And Testament being enby too and basically unapologetically just vibing and not caring was something that made impact on me. I never was fight games player, and I still would not call myself one, I played them some times on couch with someone os some gatherings etc. But Strive with Testament and later Bridget gave me some comfort which before in this medium only some indie games could, and started to playing sometimes without it being some kind of additional activity during meeting friends.I'm glad that my friend which is more in fighting games told me about this, cuz Testament gave me confidence that there is nothing wrong with who I am, and Bridget story that there is nothing wrong with looking for answer at question "who I am".
Thnak you so very nuch for this video. I'm a non binary trans woman (she/ fey, etc.) who started playing today after recommendations from other trans friends and just seeing how unbelievably cute and awesome Bridget is, but I just started the arcade mode and, with only having heard of her as a trans woman, her referring to herself as a boy really rocked me and that's how I found your video. Feeling very emotional, appreciative for your video and your being so open about your own experiences, and ever so excited to dive back into the game.
Also, you have an incredibly lovely voice and manner in this video and I can't wait to watch more of your work and share this round.
Love and solidarity xx
I'm glad you enjoyed. I struggle to love my voice and that also means a lot. Thank you.
Awesome video.
I love how wholesome Bridget's arcade is.
But holy crap the footage of Bridget Goldlewis ganging up on Ky scares me to bits.
Deadliest team.
Seeing Bridget's courage to finally accept herself as a girl was what gave me that same push.
I had been identifying as NB for a couple years, but it had been a crutch I was using to escape my dysphoria. "Yeah, I'm not a girl, I'm just NB".
But then, seeing one of the most infamous queer icons in gaming going against *years* of "fan" assumptions and proudly proclaim "I'm a girl!" made me realize that maybe I was just being too hard on myself.
I *could* be a girl. If freakin' Bridget Guilty Gear could, why couldn't I?
As a dude, i really like how she accepted and overcome her feelings.
She’s so cute! I just luv Bridget
Great video! Leaving a comment to boost the algorithm
Thank you!
i dont even know what it was about ur video but i was crying at random points - good shit
thank you so much! I'm not a huge fan of fighting games but there was always something about Guilty Gear's character designs. I really wanted to know more about Bridget specifically but didn't know where to start and was afraid to stumble upon some questionable source, you know.. I'm glad that your video was recommended