Birdo's Gender

Birdo's journey and how it represents transgender experiences.

[KrazyKaiser]

I love that no matter what Birdo's gender is throughout the series, they are almost always dating Yoshi.

[OldTimeyDragon]

I think the reason it was so confusing for a while, is because it was SUPPOSED to be confusing. I think it was considered funny to a Japanese audience at the time to have a character who's gender was questioned so heavily, that even in lore there is a mix of answers. The western releases had less references to Birdo's gender because, unlike Japan, it would've been more controversial in the states at the time (in a similar way that Bugs Bunny stopped cross-dressing for a while). Eventually, however, being trans was looked at very differently, in both Japan, and the US, and Birdo's gender isn't played for laughs anymore, and it simply left Birdo as being a "she", instead of "he" or "confused". But maybe I'm misreading the whole situation.

[leiakasta]

Your explanation of why Super Mario 2 wasn’t in Europe or America is the best I’ve ever heard. Like I’ve been watching videos on Nintendo content for years and the impression I’ve always gotten was “oh we don’t think the westerners can the skill to do a harder game” not “western people are favoring more casual games and we don’t want to tank our brand with a poorly received sequel” which makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE.

[kepral]

Whether or not Birdo is canon trans now, Birdo really fits the trans vibe with having half the populace finding your gender a complete confusion, no matter how much it's stated.

[neilchambers]

Broke: Birdo is a crossdressing man
Woke: Birdo is a trans woman
Bespoke: Birdo exists beyond the human conception of gender and cannot be defined. Also she's dating Yoshi.

[sixthdragoness]

Coming at this from a trans perspective Birdo has always resonated with me pretty strongly, growing up in an era where discussion of the subject was always just something we don't do, it was nice seeing this character who experienced those struggles alongside me and now gets to be out and proud and loved for it. Even if it sarted out as a horrible joke that kinda, feels like part of the experience. I thought I looked like a joke when I wore my first dress but years later I'm so comfortable exclusively wearing skirts and knowing the world sees a woman, just like Birdo in modern Mario Canon.

Honestly when this video showed up in my feed I was worried this was gonna be full of painful misunderstandings but I really appreciate how you went about the subject matter and it's nice to see all this history in one place, so thank you for putting this together and help celebrate a character who's important to so many people like myself. <3

[LezbeOswald]

Birdo's transition timeline: very early trans woman (possibly even not out as a trans woman but lived as maybe a drag queen or other "crossdresser")->trans woman (who probably passes as a cis woman to the point that being trans is never mentioned)->detransitioned trans woman (only in Japan, and likely working through internalized shit while dating Yoshi)->trans woman again->nonbinary trans fem->and maybe trans woman again (but likely in a more open way about trans-ness, hence being...imprisoned...in Captain Rainbow)

honestly given many trans people's own struggles with gender, this isn't too unreasonable haha

[pittherson]

It's funny that Birdo is my favorite Nintendo character, when i was a kid. I remember the whole questioning about Birdo's gender in the internet thing, and i was like "whatever gender she is, she/he is the cutest character i ever played in Mario Kart Wii" and oh boy, she still is my favorite character in the Super Mario Franchise.

Yes, i do believe as a headcanon, that Birdo is a trans-woman.

[whyisthomyorke]

Birdo is canonically a trans woman but Japan didn’t think it would go over well in the US. The same thing happened with one of the characters in Paper Mario for the GameCube (there’s a trans ghost girl in that game but she’s only trans in the Japanese version)

Edit: the paper Mario character’s name is Vivian

[jacobs]

I love birdo so much! I was beginning to think Nintendo decided to forget about her over recent years (not including her in MK8 or the deluxe version, and not being in a mario party for 10 years), so I was so happy to see her as one of the characters in Mario Party Susperstars!

[mrs_plinkett]

birdetta is my favorite mario character, it makes me so happy to see such a interesting and respectful video about her! it feels to me like her identity has always been pretty clear, but the game devs just wanted to avoid actually adressing it in a more serious manner, which is both disappointing and ironic, considering how trans folks are treated in real life.

[jennamichelle]

as a trans women I think the constant changes in what she's labeled as just shows how trans people get misgendered and shit. I'd like to believe that she is trans because I've always loved her without knowing she might be trans and before I even knew I was trans or what trans even meant. I've always loved her feminity and knowing it's a possibility that she's a trans woman makes it all so much better.

[jubisisters]

Your discussion of Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic misses a very important detail: "Yume Kojo" was a real world event that took place in Japan in 1987 that the game was a promotional tie-in for. The 4 playable characters were the existing mascots for the event, and because it was an event that only Japan saw, THAT is why it would have no appeal in the west without a reskin.

[neilnordegirl]

whatever she is, she slays no matter what.

[AndromedaD]

"a pink creature of indeterminate gender"
same

[joniivee]

Yo I'm happy to finally see a video about Birdo that is both 1) not transphobic and 2) has a good amount of knowledge of her character and the franchise's history. There's a few errors here and there (You label Robirdo as being from All Stars/USA instead of Mario Advance and you mistakingly say "Super Mario Bros. Melee) but on the whole I think this is quite good!

[fotu]

Birdo is how I realized I was trans. As a kid, I always felt like a girl trapped in a boy's body, and I was a huge Mario fan. When I was 11, I read that Birdo was transgender, and found out what that meant, and I was like "No way, I'm the same!" That's why Birdo will always he my favorite Nintendo character.

[FifiLeFay]

I love them as a character and hope that someday Nintendo use her preferred name of Birdetta as her canonical name!

[randomname]

Although it took them years, Nintendo finally accepts Birdo’s identity.

[jacobbelyea]

9:38 WAIT WAIT WAIT so Nintendo has always been unwilling to clarify if Birdo is a transgender, transvestite, or cis woman, but there was also a time where they very heavily implied Yoshi was canonically gay???