What do you think about handsome male characters you can’t date?

[a4015]

When playing otome games, you often come across supporting characters who are much more handsome than the main protagonist. Sometimes you can pursue a romance with them through fan discs, but other times you can't, which is a bit disappointing. What do you think about those characters?

 

[orionsbestie]

I cry (lol). I started over requiemz recently and there's this undatable guy with iirc purple hair?? who now haunts me orz
Also ROBERTO IN PIOFIORE i thought he was gonna be an unlockable route given how he's literally the first character we hear speak at large in the prologue, and then his big antagonistic role in Nicola's route... I was so disappointed we couldn't have a route for him;;

Edit to yap about my other beloved undateable from piofiore RUI MY MOST BELOVED I WOULD TRADE YANG FOR HIM ANY DAY OF THE WEEK love the guy to bits, salty af there's no fandisc where we can date him, roberto, leo and oliver orz

 

[Harmonea]

I would just pine wistfully if not for the fact that these characters usually exist as fandisc bait these days. I find that practice a bit gross, so it's a turnoff. Like the hot side character may as well just be a banner ad that I want to adblock.

 

[kaloh]

For me, it's only an issue if I don't really enjoy the LIs, which is its own problem. For example, I really like Hidaka and Chihiro from UN:LOGICAL, but since I also really like the designs of all of the LIs, the MC, and other characters that I don't have the "ack I wish you were an LI" urge with, it becomes "wow I love the character design of this game!" rather than a nagging issue. Comparatively, I like virtually every side character's design in Neon Clash better than how the LIs are designed (no offense intended to anyone who does like them, they're just not my style), so it basically killed my interest in the game www.

I don't have any personal experience reading a fandisc that adds a route for a side character, but hypothetically I think it depends on a lot of factors like the amount of time between the original game and the fandisc, (eg, if it's quick, then the likelihood that they purposefully are utilizing the character as a pull factor for sales is pretty high, which sucks) the quality of the route, how cohesive it is with the rest of the story (though, ironically, if it's too cohesive, it may have the reverse-effect of "why wasn't this in the original game in the first place?!" which will just annoy me more...) It's a pretty finicky concept for me. I mean ultimately, I understand needing to sell your game so... lol. If I like the character, it's still bittersweet and if I don't really care it's kind of lame... what a lose-lose situation for my brain.

I feel like I'm rambling at this point so I'll cut myself off. Ultimately, I prefer to view this as a problem of how compelling the LIs are rather than liking a side character being an issue. In fact, most of the side characters I pine for utilize their side-character status to the fullest and wouldn't really fit as LIs in the first place (thinking specifically of YUE from Blackish House here). Maybe the way to fix this feeling is to get really nerdy about narrative structure... I'm rambling again...

 

[chiorins]

its a shame but its indeed mostly a bait for fandisc

 

[mahouaya]

It's one of the reasons I have depression /j
I cry and keep hoping they'll get a route in a future fd (´；ω；`)

 

[Pumpkin Thief]

I'd stare longingly from the sidelines lol. There's a lot of side characters I love but are better off not getting their own route.
(⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

 

[sariaflower]

I think part of the appeal for those kinds of side characters is that they're unattainable -- usually it's a more vocal minority who are desperately pining (◡‿◡✿)

 

[Arisara]

Crying...crying...T.T I often have Secondary lead syndrom. I often like more suporting characters then main lead.

 

[h4kusa]

If they get a route in an FD, I can deal. But if there's no FD or they stay undateable forever, it's just depressing! I do wonder if I only like them so much because they are off-limits, though. We always want what we can't have…

 

[Leviathan_01]

On one hand, I feel totally outraged, as if the developers are trolls, lol. Like, how come I can't date Kaina in OS or Gonglu in NC??! They could at least do what Birushana did, where there are short alternative endings for the secondary characters! But on the other hand, I know they probably do this on purpose just to attract people to the fandisk

 

[chizee]

If you're not going to make him romanceable, then don't make him so handsome!

 

[Miwa333]

I think that it's unfortunate to create a handsome character but let it go to waste by making them not romanceable?

But still, a food is a food for my eyes. If LIs are a whole damn meal, then those unromanceable characters are my dessert. Not fulfilling but still a feast for my eyes 🍽

 

[ecarlada]

and sometimes they not only make them beautiful but also complex and so interesting in personality aspect :^(
i think it would be so nice if some of the developers and scenarists could see how appreciated some of the side characters are and make dlc for dating them or at least develop some kind of relationships (friendship or closure etc)

 

[bugpudding]

I agree with what someone else said, where it's only really a problem for me if I don't like any of the actual LIs. Which is just a huge problem by itself lol. There's only been one side character where I was super interested in them and all of the interactions with the MC - like way more than the LI I was going for.

But I don't mind if everyone's handsome, even if I can't romance them.

 

[sylvenna]

If I know a character's not a LI, I try not to get attached.

 

[censhu]

i definitely get the pain, but i also think the unattainability and "what if" is part of the appeal in a way, lol

There's only been one side character where I was super interested in them and all of the interactions with the MC - like way more than the LI I was going for.

may i ask who?! im curious if it's one of the same characters im thinking of (olysoire)

 

[sawayaka]

It pains me.... SO much....

There's always at least one side character I see from trailers/VNDB that catches my attention more than some of the LIs.

I haven't gotten to playing new LI routes in otome fandisks so I'm not sure how they compare, but at least in BL fandisks they always feel like an afterthought (too short, less CGs, only one ending)

 

[bugpudding]

may i ask who?! im curious if it's one of the same characters im thinking of (olysoire)

Awww, it's someone in a BL actually T_T (Ikuina from Slow Damage) but now you've got me interested!! Who was it for you in OlySoire? I haven't played it but I'll despair with you over them being undatable.

 

[5HINeegirl]

I don't know his name but the side character from 7 scarlet

 

[Marrychan]

I confess I was a little sad that Jack Jeanne couldn't have a route with Minorikawa; his interaction with Kisa was one of the things I liked most about the game. I would have loved a route for him! Olympia is also full of characters we can't flirt with, unfortunately. Ah... but I still love the characters just as much.

 

[abc135]

There are so many male characters without route that I wish I could romance... I am really happy when fandisk adds new characters you can pursue (like Sholmes from Code:Realize)

 

[Cove]

Such a tease, like why make them so hot if I cannot date them? LOL! Part of me wishes that they were a secret route of that they'll get a DLC or a FD of their route! Sometimes I get a tad upset and think to myself," Why would the developer create such a dream person and NOT have us date them? That's the whole point of the games I buy!"

 

[5HINeegirl]

Literally I hate this so much, unless they add them later in fandisks

 

[Watera]

It's so annoying like sometimes they deserve to be LI (⁠ ⁠；⁠∀⁠；⁠) since we are on this topic , i want to vent about this game (⁠⌐⁠■⁠-⁠■⁠)
Scarlet Fate, i got so annoyed when i found out that original game saw Tomonori as side character (⁠ノ⁠｀⁠Д⁠´⁠)⁠ノ⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻ when he deserves to be main ml like another MLs
thankfully fans didn't like it so in mobile version and fandisc they added him as main male lead, i started playing the game literally for him