In order to bring a computer game to Asia, localization of the game content must be done. Usually this is done by translating the text and converting it to the proper character set. Sometimes art must be changed in order to meet the legal requirements of the country. The truly cultural-concious modify other things in the game to make sure it appeals to players of that market. For EQ II, Sony decided to redo all the character models of the game to suit the Asian market. No word yet on whether or not there will be an update for the Americans.
Photos in the extended entry.
man, the Japanese version is way better.
Japanese version is way better... crappy American aesthetics