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How do you feel about LIs who still have feelings for someone else?

It's definitely an immediate skip for me. I don't mind characters having a past, but if they're still hung up on someone else when the romance starts, I lose interest pretty fast. I want to feel like the MC is their first choice, not just their Plan B after things didn't work out or because who they actually want isn't available.
 
I'd have to agree with everyone else in the comments—I really don't like it either. 😭 To me, that's basically an automatic disqualification from being an LI, lol. If they're an LI, I want them to love the MC and only the MC. I'm totally fine with routes where they never fall in love with the MC, or even end up as an enemy instead. But falling in love with someone else? Personally, that's something I just can't get past.
 
Hmm, I don't think I've ever run into this trope. The only game I can think of is an upcoming one called Thesis of Love (though.. the other woman isn't out of the picture yet for all the LIs 💀). I'd be curious enough to try a route like that tbh! Sounds messy lmao
 
Yeah no. Absolutely no. Hate them. I remember playing this one route, I forgot the name of the otoge. I think the guy was seeing the heroine as like a replacement for his dead lover. (I can't remember if him and the heroine were teacher-student. It's been a few years since i played it. I think he had black hair?? He was definitely the most attractive looking in the cast, so imagine my disappointment :() And I was like why??? Why would they write it like that???
 
Omg I just ran into this troupe in the game I was playing and now I see this discussion 😂

To answer the question, if the writing is interesting I may not hate the LI but would not enjoy the route. I want cute moments with the MC but if the LI's feelings for someone else comes and cockblocks that then it is just frustrating. If I like the LI, then it might make me more invested in him because the angst lol and potential for development. But if the LI is not someone I care about then the route would just feel like a chore to complete.

I encountered this in a side LI route in Arabians Lost and ahhhh it was an experience.
In the Maissen and Michael END, Maissen the side character LI had unrequited feelings for his sister and was working to help solve his sisters problems. He liked the mc because she reminded him of his sister. And that sucked since he only saw his sister in her and not the mc for who she is. It was a sad route because the mc was starting to have feeling but she always knew that he never properly saw at her. In the ending, Maissen likes the mc enough to kiss her and take her along with him on his journey, but it felt like the love between them was not fully developed
Unfortunately, a part of me got attached to this LI and wanted to see him come to love the MC. So now I have no choice to turn to fanfiction.

I believe if the writing is good then it may be interesting to see a LI who once loved someone to move past their former love. Especially, if we get to see the process of the LI thinking about his past love to thinking and caring more about the MC. Because, honestly there is some satisfaction to seeing the MC be number one instead of the past love. But if there are no such developments, then no thanks!! I would prefer an LI with no past attachments xD
 
Ugh, this is just so messed up. Even at times when Mc is reincarnation of this beloved. Like, why would he even do it to MC. She is her own character! Do not compare her. That's a big no for me
 
heishoumao said:
I'd like to see an MC using the LI as a replacement as well - a sort of "surrogate love" for one another, but even one-sidedly, it's pretty cute, right?
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Not exactly the same thing ig but have you tried Heart no Kuni no Alice? You might enjoy blood
 
I cannot. That is the one thing I just cannot accept not only in otome games, but in mangas and animes as well. I have dropped entire games because my fav turned out to be a character who cannot forget someone from his past. My heroine should not be their rebound.
 
It really comes down to whether the writer understands what makes this kind of character appealing. I don't dislike this trope at all.:wink: If it's well written, it's a wandering heart that finally settles down and becomes devoted — a prodigal lover returning. If it's poorly done, it just comes off as an indecisive, two-timing guy who wants to have his cake and eat it too. :alice_sigh:
For example, a certain male lead in DYNAMIC CHORD3, I think it wasn't written very well, and it even dragged down the heroine's character image. I don't like a cheating male lead, and at the same time, I also don't like a heroine who acts as the other woman.Emotional infidelity counts as cheating too.:censored:
 
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"That's completely unacceptable to me.I can't tolerate anything less than emotional exclusivity😩
 
I think I would be okay with it, as long as the heroine never feels like a replacement.

I think it can make the romance more emotional and believable, but I want to see the LI genuinely move on instead of simply transferring their feelings from one person to another.

I don't think I've actually played an otome with this kind of situation yet, though. If anyone knows a game where this is handled well, I'd love to hear your recommendations!
 
For me, it really depends on the writing. If it's well-written and his emotional transition is handled properly, I don't mind this trope at all.
However, the ending MUST be completely clear and explicit! If the game leaves it ambiguous whether he truly moved on, or if he still views the MC as a replacement, I definitely won't play it.
 
definitely no 😭 i really don't like LIs who are still hung up on someone else. i want my LI to be fully focused on the MC
 
I'm not a fan, I always feel like the MC is a second thought, the premise of them getting rejected then realise it's been the MC all along. That's what I don't like. I'd prefer if they were going to do something like that. The the RO started to leave those feelings behind and start to develop this, so it's more of a gradual romantic feeling instead of "OMG how did I not realise???"
 
It's not exactly a cliché I love so much, but if the male lead had a woman he liked, I think it'd be better if she was still alive. A story where he's dead, but because he resembles that woman, he likes the female lead, felt a bit off to me
 
Oh, I hate it. I don't play dating sims to feel like I am competing for someone, especially when this rival does nothing to earn their affection but we are expected to break our backs or sacrifice our newborn for a speck of affection. This and the dead wife trope are probably my least favorite.

I also hate it when when the people in charge are very obviously ship the characters with each other and not with MC, so they pair them up together if MC is not involved (I am looking at you, Arcana).

There's been a single instance when I was okay with RO having interest in another RO, but the writing of this game was immaculate, so MC didn't feel like an afterthought because they were interconnected with everyone and pivotal to the story. The game is Fallen Hero btw, it's not an otome, but an interactive "choose your own adventure" text game.
 
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