#tldr this year felt a bit mid ngl

[autumnnnsun]

Rating each Ambience Synesthesia 2023 looks because I have nothing else to do

I just felt like talking about some of these lines so why not. Warning for a bit of neg and talks of orientalism underneath. This is just my opinion, if you like the outfits, I am very happy for you. Feel free to disagree and stuff idk

First up, Umbra in the Sand, oh jeez

Really? on Ramadhan?

I'm always super icked out whenever anime games try to feature anything middle eastern because they treat the middle east not as a place that has people with hundreds of cultures and landscapes that one could take inspiration from and instead as a "Genre" to make fanservice with. It sees the middle east not as a real place with its own societies to explore but as an excuse to put waifus in belly dancer outfits and husbandos in whatever the heck Stainless is meant to be wearing.

The whole point of a lot of middle eastern clothing is to protect the skin from the death rays of the sun and that completely clashes with the goal of showing cleavage, bellies and thighs. So designers always end up making... This.

The fashion itself is uninspiring, Carnelian is decent but Gavial's just in a bikini, I dislike Stainless' clothes and I can't see what Erato is wearing because she's holding a ~Middle Eastern Instrument(tm)~

2/10, it's half assed orientalism, I give it 2 points cus its only half assed and Carnelian at least looks good but it's only getting that because it's orientalism.

Next, Fast & Stronger

Fast & Furious reference alert. This one is a huge step up but that's prolly only because Umbra in the Sand was such a Low for me.

You can't really go wrong with black leather jackets and this kind of edgy fashion so everyone looks good here and are solid with the concept. Penance is my favourite we love a hot bitch.

My only thing with this concept is that I feel like it could have been pushed just a little further I feel. I think it needs a bit more accessories to really give out that edgy "we are committing illegal racing" vibe. It'd also be funny considering that most of the characters here would most likely not approve of it.

7/10, Love the concept but the execution needs more oomph.

Next on is Chamber of Virtuoso

Another traditional chinese esque aesthetic but a bit more regal and fantastical(?)

I love the clothes here, Lava and Lin here are my favourites, Ling looks nice and Lee is Lee.

I dont really feel for anything about these designs because I'm not exactly too sure what direction it's going for, nor am I familiar with what genre exactly it's referencing. It also feels like that instead of a reimagining of these characters we're getting the same thing that we've seen from these character again when Ambience of Synesthesia is one of the biggest chances to dress up these characters in ways that they wouldn't usually dress in the game.

5/10, looks pretty but the concept bores me a bit.

And lastly, the chosen looks that got turned into skinlines, The Lost Tideline.

Just gonna look at this purely in a fashion sense and not look at the skin art because reasons.

This line is prolly the only line that matches the whole Phantom Thief theme that this year's Ambience Synesthesia is going for by trying to do the whole "Mystery on a Cruise" thing.

Irene is in a maid dress, Lumen is reimagined as this romantic rich boy almost and I like that so much, Roberta looks nice and Horn is in yet another white dress.

Yet another concept that I really like but I feel could have been pushed further. Especially with Lumen we won't be able to see him in this kinda richboi outfit so give him a bit more jewellery! Give him a fancy robe! Slick up his hair or smth idk! Turn him into the arrogant rich character who is the red herring for the murder that happened on the ship.

It felt like they held back with this one for some reason and it's a shame cus with a name like, The Lost Tideline, I would have expected some dumb fun I guess.

7/10 again, good concept, wished it was pushed further.

Overall this Ambience Synesthesia gets a 5/10 from me. The thing that was really missing for me was the cheese and camp that we got from the previous Ambiences. Like, 2022 gave us Flamebringer with a gas mask in a cyberpunk setting, Mr Nothing The Flop (Affectionate) as a serious looking general, Dream Land had our operators in gorgeous dresses and suits, and we get to see Mudrock, Phantom, Tequila and Reed doing dumb spy stuff. It had charm, it was cheesy but it was dumb fun.

And then 2023 gave us Orientalism, Black Leather Jacket Gang and Fantasy Traditional Chinese (again). The Lost TIdeline looks really good but it really felt like they held themselves back because they wanted to go for something actually serious this time ig?

I feel like the concepts weren't explored enough here and that kinda sucks cus there's some potential here.

Except for Umbra in the Sand. That should have just been binned.

Maybe I'd think differently if I see the livestream and the context and story behind these lines but rn I think it's pretty mid.

#arknights #autumnstext #Ambience Synesthesia #Ambience Synesthesia 2023 #tldr this year felt a bit mid ngl #I think I just loved 2022 AS too much LMAO #tw orientalism #or at least discussions of it