<ul><li>Blockchain and NFTs have been touted as the next big thing for the gaming industry.</li><li><keyword id="11992922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mir4" source="Orion">MIR4</keyword> allows players to use an utility token called DRACO to buy an in-game resource called Darksteel.</li><li>DRACO isn’t the first use of an utility token or the blockchain in games.</li></ul>Blockchain-based games are giving people a new way to earn money. And, the tokens of a new multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) called MIR4 — called DRACO — have seen a 200% jump within the first 24 hours of going live. Today, on August 31, the price is down to $2 from its peak of $6.25 two days ago. While that may not be at the massive heights of <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite&amp;is_retargeting=false&amp;shortlink=BI&amp;c=site&amp;pid=Business%20Insider&amp;af_click_lookback=7d&amp;af_channel=Business%20Insider&amp;af_adset=article&amp;af_force_deeplink=true">Bitcoin</a> or Ethereum, it’s not nothing either. And, that may be the secret to its success. <div type="image" title="Screenshot (117)_edited" msid="85800020" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;MIR4 has &amp;#39;mostly negative&amp;#39; reviews on Steam as of August 31&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The game’s popularity, despite the many negative reviews on Steam and mobile devices, is being driven by the fact that players can mine for <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite&amp;is_retargeting=false&amp;shortlink=BI&amp;c=site&amp;pid=Business%20Insider&amp;af_click_lookback=7d&amp;af_channel=Business%20Insider&amp;af_adset=article&amp;af_force_deeplink=true">cryptocurrency</a> as they play, according to <a href="https://www.pcgamesn.com/mir4/draco-cryptocurrency">PCGames</a> review by <a href="https://www.pcgamesn.com/author/dustin-bailey">Dustin Bailey</a>. Those tokens, in turn, can be exchanged for dollars to spend in the real world. The role of blockchain in gaming has been a much talked about subject event since non-fungible tokens (NFTs) started gaining prominence. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/nft-based-game-axie-infinity-hits-1-billion-in-trade/articleshow/85180646.cms">Axie Infinity</a>, another play-to-earn game, which is based on the Pokemon Go’s concept of collecting ‘pets’ recently hit $1 billion in trade volume. Over last month, the NFT-based game generated nearly $780 million in sales across 1.4 million transactions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is MIR4?" comment="subhead" text="What is MIR4?">What is MIR4?</cmsannotation> South Korean video game developer WeMade Co Limited announced MIR4 on August 26. It is available in 12 languages across 170 countries. The game allows its players to collect <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite&amp;is_retargeting=false&amp;shortlink=BI&amp;c=site&amp;pid=Business%20Insider&amp;af_click_lookback=7d&amp;af_channel=Business%20Insider&amp;af_adset=article&amp;af_force_deeplink=true">utility tokens</a> called DRACO, which can be exchanged for an in-game resource called ‘Darksteel’. Alternatively, players can mine for Darksteel as they complete tasks and spend more time in the game. Once they have enough Darksteel, it can be turned into DRACO. Utility tokens like DRACO are blockchain based tokens that are used to fund a company, project or product. In this case, users buying DRACO will in turn help the developers fund the game. <div type="ExtQuote" text="“DRACO is a coin with a new concept to allow in-game assets to be freely exchanged, stored, sold, and purchased outside of the game. The intrinsic value of the coin is guaranteed through the value of resources derived from the game.”" auname="Description of DRACO by WeMade Co Limited on MIR4’s official website"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="MIR4 isn’t exactly a ‘new’ game" comment="subhead" text="MIR4 isn’t exactly a ‘new’ game">MIR4 isn’t exactly a ‘new’ game</cmsannotation> To be clear, the game had been under testing since last year. The company says it offers a high level of character customization, the ability to create clans and 'free loot”. It’s likely that DRACO and Draksteel figures into these aspects of the game. Most MMORPG games allow users to buy in-game items using resources earned in the game, and this seems like a good way to put DRACO to use. And, overall, the game has been around for over a decade. The Legend of Mir 3 shut down in February 2012. However, these older versions — 1, 2 and 3 — hardly made any headlines. According to PCGames’ review, it plays more like CookieClicker than World of Warcraft (WoW). Its “vague take” on Asian mythology is made for casual gamers. <div type="ExtQuote" text="“Press auto and fall asleep.”" auname="Review by gamer on Steam implying that the game is not challenging enough"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Games and blockchains" comment="subhead" text="Games and blockchains">Games and blockchains</cmsannotation> The reasons for using blockchains and <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite&amp;is_retargeting=false&amp;shortlink=BI&amp;c=site&amp;pid=Business%20Insider&amp;af_click_lookback=7d&amp;af_channel=Business%20Insider&amp;af_adset=article&amp;af_force_deeplink=true">cryptocurrencies</a> in games has much the same reason as any other use case. Games like WoW and Defence of the Ancients (DoTA) have been <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2013-07-23-what-to-do-if-your-wow-account-has-been-hacked.html">plagued</a> by hackers stealing players’ in-game items. Using blockchains and NFTs for selling in-game items could <a href="https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/how-did-dorsey-sell-his-first-ever-tweet-as-an-nft-11615398451986.html">make it more difficult</a> for such thefts. “Games are basically a perfect vehicle for blockchain,” Serkan Toto, CEO and founder of Japanese Kantan Games, told <a href="https://www.inverse.com/gaming/blockchain-games-online-gaming">Inverse</a>. “Gaming is one of the areas where blockchain makes sense, where digital ownership makes sense, where NFT's makes sense.” Of course, MIR4 isn’t the only game leveraging the blockchain. Decentralized app analytics company DAppsRadar <a href="https://dappradar.com/rankings/category/games">lists</a> no less than 25 games that are built around an utility token. Popular names include games like SafeHamster, AlienBlades, CryptoBlades and more. Of course, none of these games have become as big as DoTA or WoW just yet. <a href="https://forum.businessinsider.in/">For a more in-depth discussion, come on over to Business Insider Cryptosphere</a> — a forum where users can deep dive into all things crypto, engage in interesting discussions and stay ahead of the curve. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/el-salvadors-bitcoin-experiment-kicks-off-in-less-than-a-week-but-the-protests-against-the-cryptocurrency-are-on-the-rise/articleshow/85767836.cms">El Salvador’s Bitcoin experiment kicks off in less than a week — but the protests against the cryptocurrency are on the rise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/solana-is-flying-high-as-the-rest-of-the-crypto-market-struggles-to-keep-up/slidelist/85789493.cms">Solana is flying high as the rest of the crypto market struggles to keep up</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/imf-warns-accepting-crypto-as-legal-tender-is-a-step-too-far/articleshow/85764067.cms">IMF warns accepting crypto as legal tender is a ‘step too far’</a>

NFT-based game MIR4 is all the rage despite ‘mostly negative’ reviews

<ul><li><keyword id="11901075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nfts" source="Orion">NFTs</keyword> have had a breakthrough year, and over the past 12 months, volume has hit $28 billion.</li><li>This week, a spike in Bored Ape Yacht Club helped drive weekly <keyword id="11919795" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nft" source="Orion">NFT</keyword> sales to more than $1 billion.</li><li>These are the top five digital collectibles that helped drive $1.3 billion in NFT sales over the past week. <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-opening-bell?utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a></li></ul><hr />The cryptocurrency boom over the past few years has helped propel a newer market to record heights: digital collectibles known as NFTs. The craze has pushed total NFT sales volume to $28 billion over the past year as artists, investors, and entrepreneurs descend upon the nascent Web3 space. NFTs, or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nft-meaning">non-fungible tokens</a>, are unique, irreplaceable, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/non-fungible-tokens-nfts-have-taken-over-heres-why-theyre-important-2021-4#nba-top-shot-moments-1">mostly digital items</a> that users buy and sell online.NFTs <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crypto-nft-blockchain-opensea-devin-finzer-predicts-future-2021-10#:~:text=NFTs%2C%20or%20non%2Dfungible%20tokens,of%20ownership%2C%20similar%20to%20cryptocurrencies.">use blockchain technology</a> to keep a digital record of ownership, similar to <keyword id="11895317" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cryptocurrencies" source="Orion">cryptocurrencies</keyword>. They were first launched on ethereum, the same blockchain that supports the cryptocurrency <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/eth-usd">ether</a>, and most NFTs can still only be purchased using ether.A months-long sell-off in cryptocurrencies has taken a bite out of NFT sales more recently. Weekly NFT sales had been more than cut in half from its early January peak of nearly $1 billion, according to <a href="https://nonfungible.com/market/history">data from NonFungible.com.</a>But the past week has seen weekly NFT sales soar 196% to $1.3 billion <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/moonbirds-weekly-nft-sales-crypto-bored-ape-yacht-club-nfts-2022-4">from $456 million in the prior week,</a> in part due to a resurgence in the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection, which was knocked from its usual top spot last week by Moonbirds.These were the five best-selling collections over the past week, according to NonFungible.5. CloneX7-Day Sales Volume: $19.2 million Number of Sales: 442 Highest Sale Price: $260,000 <div type="image" title="CloneX" height="438" width="1219" msid="91322116" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "CloneX Corp was founded by three extraterrestrials who came from the planet of Orbitar in the Draco constellation. These interplanetary tourists have come to accelerate our evolution towards an immaterial existence. They plan to transfer all human consciousness into advanced clone forms to create the ultimate metaverse."4. Doodles7-Day Sales Volume: $22.6 million Number of Sales: 474 Highest Sale Price: $168,000 <div type="image" title="Doodles" height="391" width="911" msid="91322119" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "Doodles come in a joyful range of colors, traits, and sizes with a collection size of 10,000. Doodles are a funky bunch that like to role play or transmogrify themselves into delicious treats. Holding a Doodle allows you to participate in coordinating the Doodles Community Treasury."3. Azuki7-Day Sales Volume: $23.2 million Number of Sales: 401 Highest Sale Price: $868,000 <div type="image" title="Azuki" height="422" width="1208" msid="91322122" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "Azuki is a collection of 10,000 avatars that grant membership access to The Garden. The Garden is a corner of the internet where art, community, and culture fuse to create magic. The lines between physical and digital worlds are blurring and the rules are being rewritten."2. Moonbirds7-Day Sales Volume: $29.2 million Number of Sales: 333 Highest Sale Price: $199,000 <div type="image" title="Moonbirds" height="393" width="1223" msid="91322125" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "Moonbirds is the continuation and evolution of the PROOF project, led by PROOF Collective. This collection represents 10,000 owls randomly generated on the Ethereum blockchain with a pixel art design. Owning a Moonbird grants the holder access to the metaverse of PROOF: Project Highrise."1. Bored Ape Yacht Club7-Day Sales Volume: $196.1 million Number of Sales: 1,733 Highest Sale Price: $743,000 <div type="image" title="Golden Bored Ape" height="315" width="631" msid="91322127" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "BAYC is a collection of 10,000 Bored Ape NFTs -- unique digital collectibles living on the Ethereum blockchain. Your Bored Ape doubles as your Yacht Club membership card, and grants access to members-only benefits."

Bored Ape Yacht Club drives 196% spike in weekly NFT sales. These were the 5 best-selling digital collections.

<ul><li><keyword id="11939875" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nft-sales" source="Orion">NFT sales</keyword> had a breakthrough year in 2021, and over the past 12 months, volume has hit $25 billion.</li><li>But after nearing $1 billion in a single week in January, <keyword id="11919795" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nft" source="Orion">NFT</keyword> sales have slowed amid an ongoing bear market in <keyword id="11895317" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cryptocurrencies" source="Orion">cryptocurrencies</keyword>.</li><li>These were the five best-selling digital collectibles that helped drive $456 million in NFT sales over the past week. <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-opening-bell?utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_source=markets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a></li></ul><hr />The cryptocurrency boom over the past few years has helped propel a newer market to record heights: digital collectibles known as <keyword id="11901075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nfts" source="Orion">NFTs</keyword>. The craze has pushed total NFT sales volume to $25 billion over the past year as artists, investors, and entrepreneurs descend upon the nascent Web3 space. NFTs, or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nft-meaning">non-fungible tokens</a>, are unique, irreplaceable, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/non-fungible-tokens-nfts-have-taken-over-heres-why-theyre-important-2021-4#nba-top-shot-moments-1">mostly digital items</a> that users buy and sell online.NFTs <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crypto-nft-blockchain-opensea-devin-finzer-predicts-future-2021-10#:~:text=NFTs%2C%20or%20non%2Dfungible%20tokens,of%20ownership%2C%20similar%20to%20cryptocurrencies.">use blockchain technology</a> to keep a digital record of ownership, similar to cryptocurrencies. They were first launched on ethereum, the same blockchain that supports the cryptocurrency <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/eth-usd">ether</a>, and most NFTs can still only be purchased using ether.But a months-long sell-off in cryptocurrencies has taken a bite out of NFT sales more recently. Weekly NFT sales have been more than cut in half from its early January peak of nearly $1 billion, according to <a href="https://nonfungible.com/market/history">data from NonFungible.com.</a>But the past week has seen weekly NFT sales jump 85% to $456 million <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/bored-ape-yacht-club-weekly-nft-sales-crypto-cool-cats-2022-4">from $246 million in the prior week.</a> The <keyword id="13098105" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bored-ape-yacht-club" source="Orion">Bored Ape Yacht Club</keyword> was knocked from its usual top spot by Moonbirds, while other new entrants hit the top 5 spot including CloneX and Azuki.These were the five best-selling collections over the past week, according to NonFungible.5. Meebits7-Day Sales Volume: $11.8 million Number of Sales: 607 Highest Sale Price: $227,000 <div type="image" title="Meebits" height="495" width="991" msid="91133810" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "From the creators of <keyword id="12418197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cryptopunks" source="Orion">CryptoPunks</keyword>, presenting Meebits. The next-gen "OG", 3D voxel avatars ready for any metaverse applications. Building upon the success of CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs to supply provably scarce and fairly distributed 3D character avatars."4. Azuki7-Day Sales Volume: $11.8 million Number of Sales: 231 Highest Sale Price: $230,000 <div type="image" title="Azuki" height="422" width="1208" msid="91133813" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "Azuki is a collection of 10,000 avatars that grant membership access to The Garden. The Garden is a corner of the internet where art, community, and culture fuse to create magic. The lines between physical and digital worlds are blurring and the rules are being rewritten."3. CloneX7-Day Sales Volume: $13.8 million Number of Sales: 275 Highest Sale Price: $300,000 <div type="image" title="CloneX" height="438" width="1219" msid="91133816" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "CloneX Corp was founded by three extraterrestrials who came from the planet of Orbitar in the Draco constellation. These interplanetary tourists have come to accelerate our evolution towards an immaterial existence. They plan to transfer all human consciousness into advanced clone forms to create the ultimate metaverse."2. Bored Ape Yacht Club7-Day Sales Volume: $96.9 million Number of Sales: 1035 Highest Sale Price: $581,000 <div type="image" title="Golden Bored Ape" height="315" width="631" msid="91133818" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "BAYC is a collection of 10,000 Bored Ape NFTs -- unique digital collectibles living on the Ethereum blockchain. Your Bored Ape doubles as your Yacht Club membership card, and grants access to members-only benefits."1. Moonbirds7-Day Sales Volume: $135.9 million Number of Sales: 1468 Highest Sale Price: $1.0 million <div type="image" title="Moonbirds" height="393" width="1223" msid="91133820" hostid="261"></div>Explainer: "Moonbirds is the continuation and evolution of the PROOF project, led by PROOF Collective. This collection represents 10,000 owls randomly generated on the Ethereum blockchain with a pixel art design. Owning a Moonbird grants the holder access to the metaverse of PROOF: Project Highrise."

Moonbirds drive 85% surge in weekly NFT sales to $456 million. These were the 5 best-selling digital collections.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>When I was a young "<keyword id="12067470" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="harry-potter" source="Orion">Harry Potter</keyword>" fan in <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, the Patils meant so much to me.</li><li>Their hideous on-screen Yule Ball outfits, however, were a wasted opportunity for representation.</li></ul>My decade-old copy of "<a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-fantastic-beasts-movies-ranked-2018-12">Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</a>" still looks new, except for the tiny dog-ear in chapter seven on a page I revisited time and time again.On that folded page, we readers witness our first Sorting Hat ceremony and meet "a pair of twin girls, 'Patil' and 'Patil.'"Even though I had little more than a last name, I was immediately invested in their character development and what would come next for them.Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-transgender-comments-show-reality-wizarding-world-harry-potter-2020-6">J.K. Rowling</a> didn't give them growth, and the movies didn't provide them with opportunities to progress either. Really, the movies did these twins dirtier than I could've imagined.<h2>As a young Indian Potterhead, I instantly identified with Parvati and Padma</h2><div type="image" title="Gryffindor Harry Potter students" height="713" width="950" msid="87140448" hostid="261"></div>It was because of my culture that I had such a big response to the introduction of minor characters who, really, would have no important role in the series.Patil is a common family name in India, where I live. When I first read "Sorcerer's Stone," India's president - the first and only woman to hold that office - was Pratibha Patil, a name that could've been a good choice for a third sister if the Patils were triplets.I was used to the name in my regular life, but seeing it in the Wizarding World was something else entirely. "<a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-harry-potter-movie-cast-then-and-now">Harry Potter</a>" wasn't just a series of books; it was a phenomenon and a watershed moment for young-adult fiction.It was also overwhelmingly British, with characters who were either clearly stated or implied to be Caucasian, people who had names nobody around me had, and kids who had blond and red hair - a spectrum absent from our rainbow here in India.In this unfamiliar landscape, the presence of the Patils became my own personal connection to the world of magic.As a young Indian girl, I was sure the twins would probably dress like me, eat like me, and even live with a family like mine.<h2>But the Patils had disappointing character arcs - if you can even call them that - and were immediately shoved to the side</h2><div type="image" title="harry potter page where the Patils are first mentioned" height="2251" width="2994" msid="87140449" hostid="261"></div>The Patils' character arcs seemed promising in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."We see Parvati more closely since she is a Gryffindor like the leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She gets as much dialogue as some other supporting characters. In a pivotal scene, we see her standing up for Neville Longbottom, who was being bullied by <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-interesting-things-about-draco-malfoy-trivia-2021-9">Draco Malfoy</a>, thus embodying the "daring, nerve, and chivalry" that sets Gryffindors apart from the rest.Slowly, however, I noticed the Patil sisters fading away.We see the sisters occasionally in the first three books in the Gryffindor common room, at Quidditch matches, and in divination class. Then we see only glimpses of them as members of Dumbledore's Army in the fifth book, exactly four lines of dialogue in the sixth book, and a couple of mentions in the final book's Battle of Hogwarts.The books don't even leave us with a definite answer as to whether they survive the battle.<h2>The girls' big moment is also the series' biggest waste of an opportunity to showcase Indian culture</h2><div type="image" title="Parvati Patil dancing with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley with Padma Patil." height="600" width="1200" msid="87140452" hostid="261"></div>In the fourth book, Parvati and Padma's role as Harry and Ron's dates to the Yule Ball is the peak of their character progress - I refuse to call it development because they do not evolve beyond one dimension.For my teenage self, it was immensely reassuring to know that Indian girls were fully capable of being found worthy by the Chosen One and his faithful friend. It helps that that books describe the situation in a fluffy, rom-com manner and paint a lovely picture of the outfits they wore to the ball:"Parvati ... looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists … "'Hi,' said Padma, who was looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise."Having read this and imagined many versions of what their outfits might be, I was excited for the film version of the sequence.Unfortunately, their grand entrance is also <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-stars-best-and-worst-things-on-set">one of the biggest letdowns in cinematic history</a>. Years later, their atrocious costuming still spawns think pieces and the <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/andreborges/xx-people-who-are-still-not-over-padma-and-parvatis-yule-bal?utm_source=dynamic&amp;utm_campaign=bfsharecopycopy">righteous anger</a> of <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/harry-potter-and-the-prisoners-of-bad-fashion">my nation</a>.As soon as I saw Parvati and Padma, I had a strong suspicion <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-films-cool-unique-things-about-costumes-2021-8">the costume designers</a> neither were Indian nor consulted with anyone who was.The girls wore garish pink-and-orange lehengas, a traditional Indian ethnic costume that consists of a floor-length skirt, a matching top, and, occasionally, a scarf called the dupatta. It's worn to celebrations, formal events, and festivals.Most important, lehengas are tough to get wrong - they are naturally graceful, come in a variety of designs, and are often sold in sets, which takes the brainwork out of matching the outfit. Many Indian designers exclusively make lehengas, giving wearers a plethora of options.It takes a lot of work to make a lehenga look bad. And yet, the film managed to do it, with candy-colored outfits that did not fit, weren't accessorized properly, and didn't even match the descriptions in the book.Even worse, it wasn't necessary to have the twins wear Indian clothes in the first place - the book mentioned only "robes." If the filmmakers were trying to pay homage to the sisters' heritage, they wasted a wonderful opportunity to showcase the sisters' cultural background.Disappointed by the caricature-ish clothes shown on-screen, Indian artists have even <a href="https://barficulture.tv/entertainment/104">taken it upon themselves</a> to <a href="https://kidovna.tumblr.com/image/614484073841295360">recreate</a> the Patils' look for the ball, giving the sisters the outfits they deserve.<h2>The Patils aren't the first Indian characters to be robbed of their identities</h2><div type="image" title="Afshan Azad and Shefali Chowdhury" height="1452" width="1936" msid="87140454" hostid="261"></div>Western media has a representation problem that goes beyond "<a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-first-and-last-lines-in-the-series-2021-6">Harry Potter</a>."For a country with an approximately <a href="https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/latest-figures-ethnic-diversity-uk-120914432.html">14%</a> minority population, the UK has a massive <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/sep/19/whats-taking-so-long-childrens-books-still-neglect-bame-readers-finds-study">representation problem</a> - which also exists in the US and other Western countries - that excludes people of color from art.Western media's representation of Indian characters has often been stereotypical, lazy, and borderline offensive - one need look no further than <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-soft-racism-of-apu-from-the-simpsons">Apu from "The Simpsons"</a> and <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/09/22/hollywood_puts_a_thin_mask_on_racial_stereotyping.html">Raj from "The Big Bang Theory."</a> This fetishization of the exotic takes two forms, with characters either used for tokenistic diversity or made the butt of jokes.But Parvati and Padma Patil are neither - their ethnic origins are never really proclaimed or highlighted enough to merit accusations of tokenism, and they are never used for the punch line.Instead, they represent untapped potential and unrealized opportunities. Rowling didn't seem to understand the importance of these characters to people like me - perhaps if she had, we'd have a well-researched portrayal of two Indian girls.As for the film, it required just a little hard work to make sure the only tangible on-screen visualization of the twins' heritage was not a twisted, neon, gimmicky version of what is really a vivid and colorful culture.<h2>As I grew up, my disappointment with the treatment of the Patils has become my own case study</h2>Parvati and Padma Patil are now two of my favorite characters for a different reason.They now remind me of the importance of representation and varied perspectives. They drive me to research thoroughly and put in as much effort as is required for accurate and nuanced descriptions. They remind me of the impact and importance that literature and characters we relate to can have on our perception of art.And, of course, the sisters will always be a reminder for me to never wear neon pink and bright orange together - a fashion faux pas that should only be made once in history.

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