Animal Crossing Characters Changed Sex for Western Release? [Update]

The latest Animal Crossing game seems to have changed effeminate male characters into female ones for the 3DS game’s English language release. Eds Note: This isn’t new for Nintendo or AC.

As pointed out by Legends of Localization, Animal Crossing: New Leaf‘s Japanese version features two characters named male “Grace” and “Roland”.

Both Grace, a giraffe, and Roland, a camel, both speak in effeminate styles. For example, Roland uses the female pronoun “atashi” to refer to himself in the game. How do we know they are actually males?

On the game’s official Japanese page, you can see the sex of each character listed as male. Grace’s listing even says, “Oh, just so you know, Grace is a he.”

However, as Legends of Localization notes, the character, renamed “Gracie” and “Saharah”, were changed into females for the West.

Kotaku is following up with Nintendo as to what prompted the change and will update this post should the company comment.

Update: As reader reofeir notes, these characters have always changed sex for Animal Crossing’s Western releases.

SEX CHANGES IN ANIMAL CROSSING? [Legends of Localization Thanks, Clyde!]

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