In otome games, I usually imagine myself in the protagonist's place, or sometimes I'm more like a parent watching over her from the sidelines lol. So I care about liking the protagonist, too.
I do think having lots of choices and less narration about her thoughts can make you feel more like you're actually playing as her. But sometimes knowing what she's thinking makes me like her more, which in turn makes me enjoy the game more. So I guess it really depends!