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How do you feel about a guy playing otome?

I have to be honest and say that when I see a guy playing otome or female-gaze works, my respect for them bumps up a lot. I know that it's not really indicative of their values and principles, but at the very least being exposed to those kind of media will give them a bit of an idea what women consume and what women want in this patriarchal world.
 
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If a guy likes otome games, that's fine. I don't care, so why not? If he likes them, let him play.
 
I think it's straight up offensive to tell someone they can't or shouldn't play a game because of their gender. If a guy likes otome games, he should be allowed to play them. If a girl likes, I dunno, racings games or first person shooters, she should be allowed to play them. Games exist for enjoyment. If you like it, why shouldn't you be allowed to play it?

Otome games, by definition, are female protagonists with male love interests. It doesn't make sense for someone to demand that BL be included in these games. Same as I wouldn't include female love interests in a BL game. However, if a creator WANTS to make a game where you can pick your protags gender, or a game that includes both male and female LIs... there's nothing wrong with that, either.

I don't see the point in demanding an otome game have BL, or a BL game add female LIs because they are two different genres meant to cater to two different tastes. Nothing wrong with either of them. I also don't see the point in getting mad about a creator wanting to make a game that allows more freedom regarding your protagonist's gender, or different options regarding your LIs - so long as it's clearly labeled on the tin. If I know what you're selling, then it's way more likely that I'm going to be happy with what I'm buying. There's clearly a market for all three kinds of games.

Last... I don't think there's anything wrong with someone who likes a game that is BL or otome creating fanfiction or fanworks that don't align with the original vision of the game. Fanfiction is an escape from cannon. Take any movie or tv show or game, and you're likely going to find someone creating both straight and LGBTQ+ fan content for it. What's the problem? It's something they enjoy, they're not hurting anyone with it, and they're not forcing you to consume it. Just because I don't like reading about, I dunno, Loki/Darcy doesn't mean that I'm going to be mad at other people for drawing/writing/enjoying it. Or just because I think Tony/Loki is adorable doesn't mean I'm going to shove it down everyone's throat.

As long as fans respect each other, there's no reason we can't all have different tastes.
 
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i don't really mind. it's their choice what games they enjoy.

but i do feel a bit strange and uncomfortable when some guys demand that the mc should also be customizable as a male character. i mean, otome games are made mainly for a female audience, so i think women should also have a space where they can enjoy games made with them in mind.

it also bothers me when people play otome games just to bait others or start arguments for views or content. i remember there was an incident where a guy played an otome game for content, but the comment section ended up with people mocking women who play otome. i remember how uncomfortable it made a lot of women feel, especially when otome is supposed to be a space where they can enjoy fanservice made for them.

that said, i don't think all men who play otome are like this. if they genuinely enjoy the game, i have no problem with it at all. for me, it's more about how people behave in the community. toxic people can be anyone, regardless of gender.

personally, i just want otome communities to be a comfortable and safe space for everyone who genuinely enjoys these games.
 
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Anyone can play otome games, gender doesn't matter. In fact, I'd probably be excited if I found out a guy I'm friends with or any random dude plays otome games. As long as they don't play an otoge just to look down on the genre
 
I think it's okay for people of any gender to play any kind of games as long as they don't attack and influence others. Self-germination of enclosure
 
It is completely fine and normal for a guy to play otome games. Games are meant for fun and do not have gender rules
 
:puniko_think:

I think players not being women is a separate issue. The whole thing about shipping LIs with each other in Otome games is a bit different.

Otome games are pretty self-insert friendly, kinda like bishōjo games, so I don't think someone not being a woman is really a problem.
The issue is shipping the LIs with each other, cause they're specifically designed to be the player's LIs, not just characters who exist within the story like in manga or other media in general.
And since they're made to be the player's LIs, there are obviously gonna be people who get really attached to their LIs (gachikoi - ガチ恋) and take the relationship pretty seriously (as long as they're not harassing people who like the same LI, which is clearly crossing the line)
So I'm not really surprised that some players aren't comfortable with people shipping their LI with another LI. The characters weren't really designed to have relationships with each other, but to be the player's LIs, especially since the games are mainly target at women.
That said, even if you're not a woman, I don't think it's a problem as long as you respect the way Otome games are meant to be enjoyed.
 
Just as women can play games with men are their target demographic, men can play games that are targeted towards women. As long as it remains targeted for women and doesn't try to cater other demographics and men who play the games stay respectful then they're welcome to enjoy the game with us.

If anything it's always exciting because hearing the perspective of men of various games and characters is so interesting because although we're consuming the same content the experience can differ a lot.
 
I don't see a problem with it, I think people should be able to like whatever they wanna like without being judged for it. I happen to be a guy who loves otomeges so lolol
 
Why would there be a problem with guys playing otome? If anything, I support it! I guess the only thing I could think of is the gatekeeping I would do to prevent too many people from discovering otome hahahaha
 
Nah, I don't particularly care who plays as long as they're respectful towards the media (or at least practice zoning if it has to do with Li x Li). And now that I think about it, it's also not something I'd usually recommend 'cause otome is geared toward a specific audience (and I'd feel hurt if outsiders didn't like it LOL). Of course, I'd never push someone away if they were genuinely interested though~

But I can understand the sentiment. Things aimed at women are usually treated as a joke so that's why they resort to gatekeeping. Reminds me of 'Hatoful Boyfriend.' A lot of people outside the target audience started the VN for kicks 'cause ~romancing pidgeons? girls are so weird~ but thankfully general reception for those who completed it was positive and it was loved fairly well. That's why I think anyone can enjoy anything with an open mind.
 
as a guy myself, i don't really see any issues with female mcs or the characters specifically fan servicing women, aslong as theres men i dont care lol, blvns are just a sweet treat to me aswell
 
I don't really have any strong opinions on this. Whether male or female, we're all just players. Personally, I think the most important thing is for everyone to play the games they enjoy and have fun doing so. Although otome games generally target a female audience, there's nothing wrong with men playing them—as long as everyone enjoys the game, that's enough. Since I love playing gal games myself, I don't believe games should restrict players based on gender. Rather than focusing on other players' genders, I pay more attention to the game's storytelling, whether the story is engaging, and whether the characters are appealing lol

It feels more like an issue of player conduct. Since the main audience for otome games is women who play for the romantic storylines, it's frustrating that some players insist on making a big deal of it by posting comments on public social media platforms—denying the female protagonists' romantic arcs or making disrespectful remarks toward other players. In situations like this, I feel that if you're not part of the mainstream, you should keep a low profile rather than being so out in the open. If it were a niche, low-key discussion, no one would mind, but when it's rude and aggressive, it's really annoying. This isn't limited to otome games—it applies to other games as well. We should respect everyone's different interests and hobbies, but we mustn't disrespect the things others love.
 
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I think that's a good thing! Whenever I happen to see people talking about it, they always seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves and getting into the heroine's role, which makes me happy.
I've never seen anyone play it just to make fun of it or mock it.
 
I think there's nothing wrong with it. If it's fun for them then good for them! Games, even if it's an otome game, are meant to be enjoyed no matter if the player's a guy.
 
I think it's perfectly fine for men to play otome games. I often play games that men enjoy, so I don't see an issue with it. If the game is fun, that's all that matters!
 
I'd be so happy if even one of my guy friends played otome 😭 Like please, I need someone to yap about it with.
 
That sounds fun and interesting since most men's romantic standards are.. well erotic.. maybe they want real romance and explore relationship dynamics in otome i'd say we need more guys who can appreciate a good romance
 
No problem. No one forbids guys from playing otome or girls from playing galge. What people like to play is their own business.
 
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