Honestly, I don't know anything about video or tabletop games that I haven't read here, because I have no interest in them - but I do know about Japs and how Japs feel about trannies... gay people in general.
Whenever I see X character is SO OMG TRANS and its a game character from a Japanese company, I just think wow... you twats have no idea do you? Like they have no idea about the society - the real society not whatever is presented as "society" in their video games or anime.
Someone who appears as a "tranny" to SJW in an anime or game is going to serve 2 purposes.
Comedic effect or a fetish object. That's it.
Of course these MtF rat king types see trannies everywhere, because to them it's all about sexual fetish. It fits into their world view of what being transgender means and what feelings are attached to it.
Where as, in Japan - even Matsuko Deluxe who is *everywhere* and mega popular with everyday people - doesn't even call herself transgender. She calls herself a cross dresser. When she's appeared on comedy shows, she's even played up the fact she's a man and been subjected to a chinko machine. It's comedic effect.
(A few years ago MD even did blackface. It was comical. So that demonstrates the overall tone of things.)
When Haruna Ai was at her peak of popularity, comedy shows would jokingly still call her Kenji. She was recognised, but still - comedic effect. They don't regard them as serious business like these SJW types do.
They're funny. They're funny coz they're absurd. They're absurd and comedic relief - The thinking is "Even if work is stressful, even if home life is stressful, at least I'm not them!"
Of course people have their own opinions and tastes in their own homes - some would support, some against, like everyone else, but the outside image, the veneer in Japanese society isn't YAY FOR TRANNIES, it's lol... trannies. what weirdos, dance for me tranny, make me laugh.
They certain as fuck aren't going to have made Link a retroactive tranny. Back when he was created, it was even MORE hush hush. I mean this is all exactly what normal people know/realise, so it's nothing new or even specific to Japan and I don't think Jake even truly believes it, but his veneer, his image has to portray that he does. Somehow that's even worse than believing it coz you're just a dumbass.