The original game's protagonist design drew minor backlash for its androgynous, feminine aesthetic, which some interpreted as non-binary signaling, but this was not a DEI-driven change and remains incidental to the silent male high schooler character who fuses into the Nahobino form; Vengeance provides alternative designs without altering core identity. The new Canon of Vengeance storyline introduces the Qadištu, a group of female demons (Naamah, Eisheth, Agrat, Lilith) seeking vengeance against angelic oppression to awaken Tiamat, framed mythologically as an ancient power struggle rather than a metaphor for systemic identity-based oppression or modern DEI narratives.

A Steam review humorously references a 'morally questionable lesbian,' likely alluding to incidental character traits among the demon cast, but this does not drive plots, arcs, or themes. No evidence of DEI consultancy (e.g., Sweet Baby Inc.), localization censorship, race/gender-swaps of canon characters, pronoun normalization, or developer activism; ATLUS and SEGA avoided Western mandates, earning praise for authenticity.

Reception is overwhelmingly positive with Metacritic scores of 87 (critic) and high user ratings, no score gaps or review bombing tied to wokeness—complaints focus on gameplay pacing and technical issues. This purity of entertainment-focused JRPG design, free from ideological intrusions, makes it a standout example of uncompromised storytelling.