The fetishes of the otaku community never cease to surprise us, and Japanese developers know exactly how to cater to them. Companies Koei Tecmo and studio Gust have just launched a peculiar official survey for their upcoming RPG video game, Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories, directly asking players if they would like the cute protagonist to gain weight and develop a visible belly depending on her eating habits within the game.

Though it sounds like an idea from some curious corner of the internet, the mechanic makes perfect sense within the lore. It turns out that eating is a fundamental pillar in the gameplay of this new installment. Karia has the ability to consume absolutely everything, from raw ingredients to synthesized dishes, allowing her to alter her physical form in over a hundred variants to gain new powers. The new system simply adds an extra layer of immersion, letting the heroine look plumper if the player decides to stuff her with unnecessary snacks. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the studio has experimented with this, as in a classic title from the past they included a similar detail if your character spent too much time eating pies they found around.

But it’s not all about carbs. The survey also uses the opportunity to consult fans about other aesthetic decisions, presenting them with eight sketches of alternative outfits for Karia ranging from gothic lolita styles to fun kigurumi outfits, asking them to choose their top three favorites. Additionally, the developer is collecting ideas for drafting future promotional short stories and answering general questions. If you want to contribute your opinion, you have until August 23rd to fill out the form and decide the metabolic fate of the protagonist.

Given how puritanical some Western sectors have become regarding female character designs in the video game industry, do you think adding a mechanic where the protagonist can become curvy will spark an absurd controversy on social media or be received as a fun and harmless detail by fans of the franchise?