Hyper-sexualized fan fiction and artwork are nothing new to video games or entertainment in general. You can spend five extremely NSFW minutes over on a the 4chan boards any day of the week to understand that simple truth. In the scheme of things, the characters and costumes in "Bayonetta" may have been a relatively slow pitch to the "artists" who generate such imagery though. That said, one of the game's designers, Hideki Kamiya, has not been amused by the fan-manufactured content — or doujinshi — that he's encountered. He even went as far as to question the love behind these homages.
"It seems there's pornorgraphic doujinshi based off 'Bayonetta,'" Kamiya posted to his Twitter account, as translated from Japanese at GameGrep. "There are fans who will resent that, and I hardly think those responsible [for the doujinshi] hold any love for the game..."
As someone who can claim no expertise in the field of "Bayonetta" doujinshi, I'll have to take Kamiya at his word that such works exist. People love games and characters in strange ways, though. The time and energy it takes to draw a character like Bayonetta's main protagonist in compromising and provocative positions may just be evidence that some of its admirers have too much spare time, and he could be right; maybe "love" isn't the best word to define their affection. Nevertheless, it's been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Do you agree with Kamiya? What did you think of "Bayonetta"? Share your opinions in the comment section below.