What do you love in an otome love interest?

[alias_sqbr]

I don't think we've ever discussed this, and I'm curious!

So: do you have an outright favourite love interest from the games you've played? Are there kinds of love interest you tend to be drawn to? Is it just about the character for you, or does it depend more on the romance arc/how the LI interacts with the specific protagonist etc?

Speaking for myself:

While the nature of the protagonist affects how much I enjoy the story overall, and how well I think the relationships work, I seem to always be drawn to the same types regardless.

I'm always a sucker for dark hair, emotional incoherence, and self hatred. In terms of arc I am a huge fan of the sort of slow burn dumbass mutual pining where by the end they OBVIOUSLY love each other but are both too self doubting to realise and it's RIDICULOUS and AMAZING.

I'm also generally drawn to cold/kuudere characters, tsunderes and science nerds. I generally love any trope more with girls, but am a big fan of younger/subby guys, as long as the protagonist doesn't feel like his mother. (I haven't seen enough non binary love interests to know what I like there!)

I'm terrible at picking specific faves, but some I've really loved:
Saito from Hakuoki: dark haired self hating kuudere
Matthew from Backstage Pass: shy sad pretty boy
Ellen from Magical Diary: girl who applies science nerdery to magic
Victor from Code Realize: Shy self hating scientist

What about you?

Comments

[caramarie]

I usually like to go for the one who is meanest! It works out well for me :) (Safer than going for the nice character who makes you a cup of tea, right?) I also like it when they have inferiority complexes ... but that's a thing for my favourite characters in general.

Probably my all-time LI is Jiwoo from Dandelion. Asides from him being my type, the route was really moving. Bittersweet, and then! Saved by the power of writing! I liked that they tormented each other equally too ... I don't want the PC to be cowed by the LI.

Other favs are Kakeru from Norn9 and Lance from Nameless. And Saito, although he is not mean at all!

[alias_sqbr]

Ha, yes, the ones who make you a cup of tea are a MENACE.

Jiwoo was pretty great, and yeah I enjoyed that they tormented each other. Lance was great too. I need to play Norn9 one of these days.

[deborah_judge]

It's basically what draws me to any character in any genre: I like people with strong ideals, especially when those ideals lead them to things that are questionable-to -horrifying. They can be anywhere from the sweet to creepy continuum as long as they explain their code of ethics to me early on and then visibly struggle with it. So in Hakuoki I love Heisuke for his determination to figure out which side is right and also Sanan for (usually destructive) loyalty to the people for whom he considers himself responsible. (Hakuoki in general is made for me, since most of the characters have strong - but different! - moral codes.) In Hatoful Boyfriend I liked both Ryouta and Shuu because they both have extremely clear (and extremely different) senses of right and wrong. I gravitated to Tobias immediately when playing Cinders because almost the first thing he does is explain his merchant code of ethics.

Two things I like that are particular to the genre: 1. I'm going to prefer a route in which the heroine Does Stuff, so if the dude wants to try to be all Benevolent Sexist at her he needs to at least not be effective at it and 2. I like having routes that have dramatically different perspectives on the same events, and especially routes with characters who are villains or just sketchy in other routes.

[alias_sqbr]

Wow, yeah, Hakuoki was really made for you!

I love when interactive stories give differing perspectives on the same events. And dating sims are very well set up to do this, with the way they split into paths that each focus on a different character.

[22degreehalo]

I don't think I have a single type I always go for, but I deeefinitely have a set of traits that I am very predictable about :P (And while some things may vary a little, these pretty much hold true regardless of love interest gender.)

* Strong loyalty to another character. I've only kind of noticed this fairly recently but it is probably my number one trait at the moment - I just can't get enough of that loyalty kink!! There's just something about the intensity and trust (and subbiness maybe...~) that I just absolutely love! Loyalty to the MC is very nice and good, but loyalty to another character or LI works just as well! And of course, I love the knight/samurai themes~

* Gentleness. I really really love LIs, especially male ones, who are sweet and kind and love cute animals and take care of kids and maybe have a nuturing kind of role! This works equally well with frail guys AND with big burly men who have a sweeter side!

* Weirdness. I love, love, love me some weirdos, whether that be a quirky hobby, an incomprehensible way of viewing the world, or anything else of the kind! These kinds can be really entertaining, but I just always feel so fond of them, and they make me feel less intimidated I think? It's nice to know the MC can be as weird as she wants too!

* Internal conflict. Oof, I love the self-hating ones as well! Or if it's not to that extent, dealing with any kind of internal struggle just makes them relatable and makes me wanna come in and comfort and protect them!! And it's so nice when it feels like the MC can make their life better too, y'know?

* A serious/polite nature. IDK why, but I always get really drawn to the lawful and rule-abiding types who take things seriously. I think it's partly because I can kinda relate, and partly because I reaaaally love seeing restrained characters having to fight their more intense emotions and urges >:)

* Compassion. It's a little corny, but characters who genuinely care about people around them and want to make the world a better place really do inspire me, and it's nice to think the MC can help and support them to bring about some really good changes! Or if they're just the type to try to help others around them (perhaps overworking themselves and having to be shown it's okay to have fun sometimes too...!) that's great as well!

* Sincerity. This is kinda hard to explain but I think I overdosed myself on banter and snarky exchanges a few OTPs ago, and now I'm honestly tired of dialogue where the characters sound like they're just trying to prove how witty they are. And characters who are always in control are just super BORING to me - vulnerability is what interests me! So characters who are earnestly enthusiastic about some things really appeal to me, and so do characters who struggle to express themselves but really want to and are trying hard to do so! Not to mention that I looove ones who work super super hard to achieve what they want!!

* Awkwardness. Once more: vulnerability! I like characters who are inexperienced and unsure what to do. Characters who stumble over their words in front of their crush. Characters who blush easily just holding hands. Just!! Gimme that sweet sweet adorkability~~

* Androgyny. I like characters who cross through taboos and who do things uniquely, and I love relationships where the characters break out of roles and are able to balance each other in complicated, multifaceted, and unexpected ways, and playing with gender roles is veeery much a part of that.

* Cheery types. This usually conflicts with some earlier points but I don't care, sometimes I just want a friendly, funny love interest who can show their affection and look on the bright side and make me smile!! :) Also I love playful characters who can be silly and dorky to make people laugh sooo much!!

I think those are the main ones I can say without crossing over a lot - I'm also a big fan of monsters, but specifically the weird, mysterious ones with unusual designs and foreign customs, so that fits squarely under 'weirdos'.

As for examples (just sticking to guys to keep this comment from being even longer than it already is):

Kanzaki Souma from Ensemble Stars! (who is... literally everything on the above list, right down to being an actual samurai somehow in a high school idol game. im....love him a lot...........<3)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi from Ikemen Sengoku (his route is one of my absolute favourites of all time!!! the helping him to find his happiness... the loyalty kink... I'm so weak...)

Ishida Mitsunari from Ikemen Sengoku (he's so nice and sweet and fucking clueless lmao I love the airheads, I want to protect them!!)

Alain from Love & Legends (the most hardcore loyalty kink I've ever seen in an LI, and in a sweet awkward guy to boot!!)

Arthur from Castaway! Love's Adventure (a polite and charming guy who turns out to have a wonderful adorkable professor side~~)

Makabe Kenta from My Sweet Bodyguard (he's so earnest and works so hard and supports the MC so much and has such a clear crush on her, I love him so much!!)

Togo Takahisa from Rose in the Embers (I know some people hated his route but I loved it!! The seriousness, the self-hating, the struggle to express his feelings... such wonderful romantic tension!!)

Aaaand I think I'll leave it there :P Suffice to say I've thought about this stuff a fair bit :PPP

[alias_sqbr]

I was nodding my head at a lot of these, you did a good job articulating a bunch of great traits in LIs. So now I'm going to check out the guys you've listed in the hopes of finding some sincere adorkable weirdos to love :)

[waterscroll]

I am going to need to check out Ikemen Sengoku, you make a strong case for these guys.