Why does the armor lack lower protection in Himekishi: The Barbarian’s Bride?

Last week, the anime Himekishi: The Barbarian’s Bride premiered, telling the story of a female knight who goes to war against barbarians but ends up captured and forced to become the wife of their leader.

Then, a certain tweet went viral on the Japanese internet, questioning why the heroine’s armor lacked protection in her lower region, leaving her backside exposed.

The tweet reads:

“What kind of armor is this that only leaves the lower parts unprotected?”

As you can see, the heroine Serafina is wearing armor that leaves her butt and groin area unprotected. However, what the original poster didn’t expect was to receive replies explaining that this type of armor was actually quite common.

Other people began sharing examples of real armor and even armor from other anime where male characters also lacked such protection. This type of armor is more commonly used by those who fight on horseback, as full protection in that area would be uncomfortable.

It was also pointed out that even Saber from the anime Fate/Strange Fake uses similar armor without lower protection.

In medieval Europe, especially during the 15th century, armor was designed with mobility in mind. Knights spent much of their combat time on horseback, and rigid protection around the hips and rear would greatly hinder the movements needed to mount, dismount, and fight.

For this reason, many armors had openings or reduced coverage in that area. This allowed for greater flexibility and comfort during prolonged battles. Additionally, horses were also armored, helping to compensate for the knight’s vulnerability in that region.

So, it’s not as if the armor was chosen solely to show off Serafina’s body. Especially since the anime doesn’t need her armor to do that, as more intense scenes happen later on.