Update: Nintendo on Bowsette: “We have on comment.”
The announcement of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch was met with some controversy. The fans had no issues with the fact that another Wii U game was being ported to the Switch with minimal upgrades, but they did have a problem with the fact that Toadette could turn into a copy of Princess Peach with the aid of the new Super Crown item.
The idea of using the Super Crown item to turn another character into a copy of Princess Peach has started a deluge of fanart that is currently swarming the Internet. The character in question is Bowser, who has become Bowsette with the aid of the Super Crown item.
Bowsette was created by DeviantArt user aykk92 who drew an image showing Mario and Bowser being rejected by Princess Peach that was uploaded on September 19th. Bowser then uses the Super Crown item to transform into a new being that looks like Princess Peach, except with Bowser-like elements, such as the outfit and the shell. The final panel of the comic shows Mario and Bowsette walking around together, while Peach looks on annoyed.
Bowsette quickly became an Internet sensation, with artists from all over the world rushing to recreate her glory in their own style. This involves the kind of pictures that you would expect from people who enjoy drawing Rule 63 artwork online.
The #bowsette hashtag has been exploding with artwork over the past few days and even managed to reach the worldwide trends list.
So what is it about Bowsette that makes her so popular? The Internet is hardly wanting for perverted images of popular fictional characters and the idea of a female version of Bowser isn’t new. A Google image search for “Female Bowser Cosplay” will show you often how the concept has already been done.
There are several aspects to the popularity of Bowsette that go beyond her physical attractiveness. The idea of a rogue Princess Peach (similar to Wario and Waluigi) is something that fans have wanted for a long time, but Nintendo has been apprehensive about creating her.
The idea of Mario and Bowser resolving their long enmity with Bowser transitioning into a beautiful woman and the two of them falling in love is also a novel concept that hasn’t been explored very often.
It’s possible that the introduction of the Super Crown item has given the fans a canon means to explore different aspects of a popular character. The fact that Nintendo has given the fans a means by which Bowser can become a lady has opened the floodgates for creativity. The question now remains if Nintendo will be brave enough to make Bowsette canon in a later Super Mario Bros. game?
