Do you prefer younger Lls, older LIs, or characters around the MC's age?

[osanajimimi]

Certainly, a wide age range allows you to experiment with different types of romance. But do you prefer the focus to stay on a certain age group? Sometimes, when the cast is too diverse, putting a younger LI beside an older LI doesn't make them feel like they're competing just for the audience lol

 

[osanajimimi]

I really like it when there's a similar age range between the MC and the LIs. It gives a greater sense of closeness, whether they're younger or older. I can enjoy more their interactions, they feel genuine.

 

[ninnikuryona]

i dont usually pay attention to a li's age! the most important part is that he is attractive to me, either physically or personality-wise. though id be lying if i said i dont want more younger lis.. especially true shota;-;......

i think there is appeal in all kinds of ages. younger lis are cute and boyish (and when they hit you with a "im not a little boy anymore, oneechan" or "wait for me to grow up" oh my god.........), similar age feel like friends and its very nice, and older lis provide this sense of comfort and security and protection... and of course some maturity in the relationship ehehehe........
but that only counts if the writing is good. doesnt matter whether a li is 8 or 48. if the writing sucks (an older li acting like a whiny teenager or a teenager li acting like this wise old man with 80 years of life experience), im just gonna be frustrated either way! lol (though the second one is just so genuinely funny i cant bring myself to be mad)

 

[Nekosen]

I prefer older love interests and age gaps, especially if the character in question is experienced and smart. Although if the character is fun or well written I don't mind younger LIs.

 

[Sphyixz]

Around the MC's age.

Whenever there's a big age gap, I feel like the story almost always ends up revolving around it. If the LI is younger, it usually turns into the whole "I'm a man too, stop treating me like a kid" thing. If he's older, it's "I'm too old for you" or "you're better off with someone your own age."

When they're around the same age, I feel like the writers have to rely on something more interesting to create the conflict, so I usually enjoy those routes more.

 

[judahslove]

It depends ig ? as a young person who just graduated this year i'm really more into the highschool themed otome games but i think the age doesn't really make up for anything since i don't even check their age in most series..like if the theme is highschool i know for a fact they are around 16-18yo but in for example virche evermore i genuinely and to this day don't know how old are the characters…because i don't really care- but i agree with you sometimes having a diversified characters in term of age can be pretty unfair to some !

 

[mitsumitsu]

I generally like it when a game has a wide range of ages like Byakko. But if it's a matter of either or then hmmmmmmm
I want to say I like the older li's but not when their routes are always going "oh nooo I'm older than you we can't be together" or "I'm old enough to be your father" for 70% of the route smh old man just let me kiss you. So I'll pick a younger li in this dilemma because it's cute when they get clingy and chase after the protagonist and crave her attention(yeah I still haven't gotten tired of that troupe) >.<

 

[Sacchie]

I had been naturally attracted to older one since ages ago (*/ω＼*)
even sometimes prefer the non-playable characters in the game (staring at douma-dono from olympia soiree)
(づ￣ 3￣)づ

 

[hashi]

I like the down-to-earth vibe of characters my own age, but I also enjoy being protected by older characters, doting on younger ones, or simply finding the age gap itself appealing. Since age is just one aspect of a character, I can't say I have a particular preference for any specific age group.
That said, I might tend to judge older characters a bit more harshly.

 

[0123456789]

I place more importance on whether a person has a calm personality or gives a sense of security than on their actual age.
I prefer being the one who gets pampered

 

[Yara010]

It depends but I have soft spot for younger LIs

 

[ariaaaaa]

i'm guessing in my case, i go for same age or older guy characters T_T maybe its bc its what i prefer in real life as well (i like to be taken care of aha) but i don't rly mind it when there are younger guys in the games, i just dont go for them LMFAO i like the idea of having more options for everyone tho so the more the merrier!!!!

 

[moonyuki]

I prefer older LIs because their life experiences differ, and so do their interests. This creates more conflict and interaction between the MC and the LIs＇s pursuing, which I find particularly interesting.

 

[藍色水珠]

Previously, I preferred characters my own age or slightly younger. Being around the same age and within the same social circle (same grade) meant we shared common interests and had a more relaxed and enjoyable time.
Some younger male leads were more reliable, independent, and less prone to displaying the immature, younger-brotherly pride they might have
Now, I'd first pursue older characters. They're more mature, have more social experience, and I feel a sense of being cared for. Of course, it still depends on the script.

以前我喜歡同年齡或是年紀略低的角色,同年齡有共同話題與生活範圍(同一年級)相處起來,輕鬆愉快.
有些年輕小男主角比女主角成熟可靠,獨立自主,會有不想被當弟弟的自尊心表現
現在我會先攻略年長角色,比較穩重,社會經驗多,有種被照顧的感覺.當然還是要看劇本內容.

 

[joaoka]

I generally like it when a game has a wide range of ages like Byakko. But if it's a matter of either or then hmmmmmmm
I want to say I like the older li's but not when their routes are always going "oh nooo I'm older than you we can't be together" or "I'm old enough to be your father" for 70% of the route smh old man just let me kiss you. So I'll pick a younger li in this dilemma because it's cute when they get clingy and chase after the protagonist and crave her attention(yeah I still haven't gotten tired of that troupe) >.<

Younger love interests are so cute and byakko is such a good example of it!! Toranosuke and Saburo are adorable and it fits the theme of the story too.

When older love interests put too much emphasis on the age difference, it's kind of off-putting as you said lol though I feel it was more common in older games (like collar malice)

 

[Yumehara_raito]

I prefer playing older characters! Playing characters my own age is fine, but I'm not very good at playing younger ones.

 

[Pancito]

Honestly, I don't pay much attention to age. I agree with others that personality and chemistry with the heroine matter much more to me. If I had to choose, I'd probably say slightly older, but only by a few years. In the end, as long as I like the character's personality and their story, age becomes a secondary factor.

 

[SmallEagle]

I don't mind any age as long as the age gap is not extreme, especially for younger LI's. But if I HAVE to choose just one, then I prefer older LI's, just don't make the whole route about the age difference.

 

[mirasaki]

yes (I don't have prob with all of them)
altho in one of discussion I prefer older LI, but as long as I got pampered by them and go wild with them then I'm satisfied

 

[Liiiii]

Around the MC's age.

Whenever there's a big age gap, I feel like the story almost always ends up revolving around it. If the LI is younger, it usually turns into the whole "I'm a man too, stop treating me like a kid" thing. If he's older, it's "I'm too old for you" or "you're better off with someone your own age."

When they're around the same age, I feel like the writers have to rely on something more interesting to create the conflict, so I usually enjoy those routes more.

Yes! I totally agree with everything you said! I also like it more, when the LI is close to the Age of the MC. If an age gap is not done well, their age sometimes also seems to becomes the whole personality of an LI and not just an aspect to them.

 

[wangpanda]

Well the personality is more import than the actual ages, but if the LI looks too old and ugly the story needs to be very perfect to ignore the face, but this could be part of his personality that he might feel self-abasement about his apperance.

 

[nerim-w]

Neither too old or young!! I cant do young looking LIs that look like children (Himuka from OS) and im also not unfortunately a DILF lover (Benkei from Birushana). I dont mind slightly older or younger LIs because i think theres fun dynamics there like a younger LI wanting to be seen as a man or an older LI trying to break free from being seen only as an older brother... but big age differences are a no for me, i dont like kids nor do I like old men

 

[O cha]

I'm good with older, younger, or LIs around the MC's age! That said, I'm not really into LIs who look too old. Elderly or even middle-aged designs are a bit hard for me, personally. The Benkei another commenter mentioned, and Fujita from Butterfly's Poison, are a little outside my usual preferences.

 

[AmnesiaArya]

Personally, I don't think age matters—what matters is the face and body! The male love interests can be 18 or 1,800 years old, they can be charming mature older brothers or sunny young younger brothers, but they absolutely cannot be ugly!

 

[enren]

I don't like younger LIs (and those that act like children) unless they act mature
and LIs more than 10 years older than the MC unless it's an ancient creature or something similar that lived for hundreds/thousands years.