Can you imagine yourself in the place of the main character?

[Kyoko]

For me the main reason I even play Otome is so I can self insert lol. At least most of the time unless she really is horrible then I just give up on the game or try to disassociate lol.

 

[Natsukicchii_]

I'm the spectator type. Because I feel awkward if I self-insert myself XD

But still, I still get emotionally invested although I'm not self-inserting myself.

 

[xinyll09]

same i love immersing myself in the story. if the mc is already established (like with a canon name and everything) then i try to engage with the story the same way i'd do it with a regular romance book.

 

[Pancito]

Yes! I empathize with the main character more than just watching as a spectator!

 

[rutu]

Sometimes I imagine it, and I'm the protagonist's fan.

 

[MsFangtasia]

I always put myself in the MC's shoes and sympathize etc. but self-insert nope.

 

[lylophy]

No, I'm always just a spectator.

For me, visual novels are closer to books, so there's always an invisible wall between me and the characters. If the characters try to break this wall (like in LADS), I cringe, like, "Dude, stop this mess"

 

[AyaAyaya]

Yeah for sure, I always secretly want to be put on the cage. Joking aside, I prefer being a spectator, never yumeship before

 

[aoisora( ◕ H ◕)]

At first, I watched it as a mere bystander, but then I found myself slowly immersing into the character.
Now I can constantly switch between the two perspectives.
After all, sometimes the main character is just so hard to understand, making it easy to slip back into being a bystander.

 

[imonusi]

With games, the heroine's personality and dialogue are fully fleshed out, so I feel like I'm watching from the sidelines. Audio works, on the other hand, often don't describe the heroine in much detail, so I can listen feeling as though she's speaking directly to me. That said, if it's a comical title where the heroine has a funny personality, then I do feel like an observer in those cases.

 

[Sphyixz]

Not really, honestly.
I used to try to self-insert more, but these days I mostly just read otome like a romance story instead. I find it a lot easier that way, because the moment I try to imagine myself as the MC, it gets really easy to break immersion when she starts making choices I'd never make myself. So now I usually just treat the MC as her own character and enjoy the story from that angle instead.

 

[Megha]

I only immerse myself when I know for sure that the protagonist will somehow survive, otherwise, I play as a reader reading a novel. So, I'm in the middle position.

 

[Ant_076]

Generally speaking, when it comes to games, I tend to play them as a spectator. If I were to put myself in the character's shoes, facing romantic storylines and dialogue directed at me would feel a bit awkward and make it hard for me to keep playing. However, as long as I shift my perspective to that of a third-person observer, I really enjoy it
That said, if it's a character I really like, I can't help but self-insert a little bit, lol

 

[Hiy0]

The vast majority of times, sadly no. The personalities of otome heroines and the way they act is usually just too different from my own. There's really only been a very small handful of otome heroines, that I could somehow put myself into their shoes/see myself in them.

 

[mandrakeroost]

For me it depends on the mc's behavior and whether or not she is a blank canvas or has a strong defining personality. I usually only self insert when its the former, or if the mc's personality is similar to my own which isn't often.

 

[PrincessMello]

I looooove imagining myself as the mc even if the choices rarely match my tastes but if the MC has a personality that's too distinct or if the story gets too "cringe" i'm just a viewer lol

 

[Ayam]

Mostly spectator but self-insert is fun when the story isn't too heavy

 

[SmallEagle]

I am always an spectator, I cannot imagine myself in the position of the protagonist. Some MCs have their personality defined so it's easy that way, but when the MC is a self insert situation, I use my OCs so that I don't die from cringing, which surprisingly I prefer.

 

[koko36]

I'm kind of in the middle (´꒳`) i don't really self-insert as myself, but I do emotionally slip into the protagonist's perspective. It's not just with otome either ° I do this with pretty much any story, i naturally try to understand what they're feeling and experience the story through their point of view.

If the MC is similar to me, it's easy to relate to her. If she's very different from me, I just try to understand her perspective instead, so I still end up getting really emotionally invested. It feels less like "that's me" and more like I'm seeing the story through their eyes. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
So I guess it's more emotional immersion and empathy than actual self-inserting. (´︶`)

 

[asdevbtgh]

For me, it completely depends on the main character's personality. If the main character has a personality that is similar to mine, I find it really easy to self-insert and experience the story as if I'm actually there.
However, if their personality, values, or reactions are completely different from mine, I naturally shift into an observer's perspective. In those cases, I treat it more like watching a movie or reading a novel, enjoying the protagonist's own journey and growth from the outside. Both ways of playing are really fun in their own way.

 

[puffuxy]

I always play as if I'm just watching it all play out, like I'm reading a romance novel. Idk its just really hard for me to get immersed and feel like the mc without feeling weird or icked out, its the same reason I hate reading x reader fanfics