It is poor form to take a female protagonist for granted, but they are often neglected in favour of the proverbial bald space marine. Most commonly, a lack of male interest in such a character leads to this dearth.

So it makes great sense that a developer with a self-proclaimed punk attitude would challenge that notion. Grasshopper Manufacture has never shied away from heroines, and Liberation Maiden's Shoko Ozora is their latest (for impressions of Liberation Maiden, known as Kaihō Shōjo in Japan, read Danny Biven's write-up here).

As the daughter of Japan's serving Prime Minister, Shoko's duty is to protect her country's energy sources after her father's assassination. Within her Liberator, a mech suit by the name of Kamui, Shoko fights an invading foreign hoard in this wacky, anime-fused eShop shooter.

But where does Shoko fall in Grasshopper's line of heroines?

*The following contains story spoilers for Killer7 and No More Heroes 1 and 2*

“Hurts, doesn’t it?”

KAEDE is a hired gun. As an assassin, her morals do not stand in then way of profit. She's bold, and her speech is best described as blue. In life, she was excellent at her job, but she ended her career with an act of cowardice. However, as a persona of Garcian Smith, she fought off hordes of Heaven Smile differently from her male counterparts. Always the aggressors, the male members of the Killer7 rush in, guns blazing. KAEDE shot from afar, slow, but always accurate in her attacks. It isn’t fair to classify this as a “woman’s touch,” but it certainly displays a great amount of skill and intelligence.

The differences between Shoko and KAEDE are substantial. As an assassin, KAEDE kills for the good of herself. Shoko’s motivations are worlds apart; she puts an entire country ahead of her own wants and needs. In one of her flashbacks, we see KAEDE run and hide from an enemy. She had an opportunity to warn the other members of the Killer7, but placed more importance on her life than those of others. Shoko boards her Liberator immediately to defend the innocents of Japan, a far cry from KAEDE’s selfishness.

“When the gatekeeper to hell asks who sent you, tell him it was Shinobu Jacobs”

Shoko’s attributes as a heroine come closest to Shinobu’s. While initially introduced as a brash and quick-tempered teenager in No More heroes, her motives quickly become clear. Much like Shoko, she too lost her father to a bloodthirsty enemy. Both take a call to arms to avenge what they love, and both act on it. Shinobu is honourable, saving Travis Touchdown’s life in No More Heroes due to his own act of kindness earlier in the game. 

In No More Heroes 2, her skills are placed in the player’s hands, and it’s here we see just how capable Shinobu is. Her goal is to ensure Travis can avenge the loss of his friend, and she doesn’t take it lightly. She puts her life on the line to protect the ones she loves.

As great as it is for Grasshopper Manufacture to embrace female protagonists, they do still fall victim to sexualizing them through clothing. KAEDE’s mini-skirt stands stark against her cold demeanour (and apparent distaste for men, judging by her quote: “I changed my makeup. Did you notice? Ugh, men. They never notice these kinds of things”), and Shinobu's schoolgirl outfit does little to imply she’s more than a pretty face. Shoko’s slim-fitting unitard closest resembles Shinobu’s attire, in that while they hardly seem an outfit suited for combat, they’re not overly revealing. Not ideal, but at least their character speaks far better of them.

“These zombies suck dick at driving”

By far, Juliet Starling is Grasshopper’s most outwardly sexual female protagonist. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve (even when she doesn’t wear them), and has no problem playing coy if the player attempts to take some pantsu shots. But don’t let her bubbly demeanour and flirtatious attitude fool you into thinking she’s dumb. While she isn’t the leader of New Japan like Shoko, she can certainly take care of herself. Hailing from a long line of zombie hunters, Juliet knows her way around a chainsaw. Her favourite colour may be pink, but she isn’t afraid to bathe in red.

While her adventure may be on a smaller scale, Juliet’s reclaiming of San Romero High School is just as dangerous as Shoko’s defence of Japan; both require an incredible amount of self-sacrifice.

Grasshopper Manufacture’s array of heroines is well staffed, and Shoko Ozora is another interesting addition. Their personalities are all quite varied, but none of them play the role of the helpless victim. Much like her compatriots, Shoko brings the fight to her enemies. You won’t find her in another castle; she’ll be far too busy defending it.