Nearly five years after the releaseButterfly Soup, its sequelButterfly Soup 2released, continuing the story told by the first game. With its visual novel style and four main characters - Dyia, Min-seo, Akarsha, and Noelle,Butterfly Soup 2explores themes of teenage years and the feeling of being a chrysalis that is slowly transforming into something else, which gives the series its title. Even though only a short time has passed since the events of the game’s predecessor, the second chapter of this story about queer,Asian-American girlsmanages to feel more mature.
Among the pain points it tackles are racism, communicating with immigrant parents, the acceptance of one’s self and origins, and more - all packed in a game that fully wraps in just a few hours. Asian-American representation is a big aspect ofButterfly Soup 2, possibly even more than in the first game, and creator Brianna Lei tried to produce a story that tackles heavy topics while retaining the overall positivity of its first chapter. Lei talked to Game Rant about what it means to grow up as an Asian-American child both in-game and in the real world, and how this perfectly ties in with the MCU seriesMs. Marvel.
RELATED:Ms. Marvel: Every Episode In The Show, Ranked
How Butterfly Soup 2 and Ms. Marvel Offer Accurate Asian-American Representation
Much like inButterfly SoupandButterfly Soup 2, a key aspect ofMs. Marvelis exploring how the protagonist has to reconcile being an American native at school while handling the difficulties of coming from an immigrant family. This is not just characterized by an accent or smallercultural differences between Kamala Khan’s origins and her American identity; instead, it’s made apparent in clever ways that make the series more nuanced.
For example, Kamala’s parents and grandparents are not accustomed to technology in the same way, and there are nods to the daily life of South Asian peoples with religion, family arguments, or traditions. What Lei found to be extremely accurate in terms of her own experiences ishowMs. Marveldepicts Kamalaand her mother arguing, which to her feels like genuine Asian-American representation that also finds its way intoButterfly Soup 2.
“I’m not much of a Marvel fan, but the first episode ofMs. Marvelmade me cry! Kamala’s argument with her mom was so similar to ones I had with my parents. There are plenty of things I rolled my eyes at like how the characters fangirl over the Avengers. But for me, seeing such a loving, authentic depiction of an Asian-American girl navigating life on a big budget absolutely made up for it.”
Whileindie gamesare often a better placeto tackle social and personal struggles than AAA titles, Lei also wishes more developers and other media did try to have more varied and accurate representation.Butterfly Soup 2does something similar with Diya having difficult conversations with her mother, or with Akarsha’s father mispronouncing English words due to being a first-generation immigrant.
These small details are not only great for providing more context behindButterfly Soupgames, they also make something familiar and intimate an important aspect of growth, especially when Asian-American teenagers have to clash with their parents.
“Personally, I’d like to see more stories about Chinese-American adults dealing with stubborn immigrant parents! Definitely not because I need advice with that in real life or anything…”
Butterfly Soup 2offers LGBTQIA+ representationon top of its depiction of Asian-American characters, and this helps create a more diverse environment where shades of deep-rooted issues like bullying, racism, and homophobia come together. This is one of the reasons Lei wants to see more Asian-American and queer characters in the video game industry, considering indie games have limited reach compared to big releases. Ultimately,Butterfly Soup 2andMs. Marveldo share common ground, and they both make for strong depictions of Asian-American people and their struggles - albeit in different mediums.
