Self-Inserting and Heroine Voices in Otome Games

[e_11]

I don't self-insert when playing otome games, and I usually stick with the default name for the heroine.

However, I prefer to play with the heroine's voice turned off.

Even though I don't self-insert, I find it easier to get emotionally invested in the story when the heroine is unvoiced.

I've seen some people say that they would like more otome games to include voiced heroines, so I'm curious—what do you all think?

 

[yousoro]

i like a heroine to be her own person, voice on

when I was younger i used to prefer full-on self-inserts, but ive kind of grown bored of them after ive got a partner, even though i really miss that specific feel of imagining yourself as a protagonist

i think my voice on preference comes from the idea i force on myself that i Have to experience Everything exactly how it was given to me.. plus it makes in-game conversations flow better imo

 

[ninnikuryona]

really depends! im not a selfinserter through and through usually, and if there is a voice, i prefer leaving it on. because i STILL cant fully grasp the concept of selfinserting (dumb). still though, i do selfinsert sometimes (not sure how it works in my head) while still leaving heroines voice + side portrait on. HOWEVER, i always turn it off in r18 otome, but i also dont selfinsert in r18 otome at all! so overall im a little confused......;

 

[satory]

I think, if you like to see the story "through MC's eyes" (e.g. voice|portrait off) and not while looking at her - it's also a form of self-inserting. I actually have a theory, that everyone self-inserts at some degree. Some people like to imagine themselves in the MC's place, some people like to become MC, I like to be the third wheel and watch the story unfolding (this is why I prefer having portrait and voices on), but these are just forms of the same thing. Anything is good, as long as everyone is happy, there is no answer to which is better tho

 

[rorudesu]

I started out self-inserting, but these days I've completely settled with the "backseat observer" style. Just watching MC get her happy ending is what I find the most fulfilling and fun right now!
And that's exactly why it's a problem if MC lacks any personality.

(Also if I unintentionally steer her into a Bad End, I feel so bad to her by being a bad pilot www)

On the other side, voiced MC really depends on the title. But honestly, having a professional voice actor read the lines is way better than just imagining her voice in my head. At least for me!

Unless it's a case where the character's personality is completely different when they get voiced, I'm usually fine with it... I think! Yep!

 

[xaioblack]

I self-insert, really depends on the storylines and mc personality. Sometime the MC put themselves in situation I don't want to be in or the MC straight up have a plain personality, then no.

I prefer voice on, really doesn't break the immersion and is part of MC.

 

[ruruchan2u]

Self insert with voice off. I will even go into the game folder and delete MC's voice files if there's no mute in-game option lmao.

 

[fr4pp3cinn]

I prefer leaving it on always! Although I don't listen to all the voiced lines, I feel like the non-voiced dialogue sounds a bit awkward, even more so when the MC is having a discussion with another character and it keeps cutting to voiced line/no voice/voice again (lol). It's one thing I actually dislike when playing games that aren't otoge or BL, as I've noticed voiced MCs are more common in those genres (BL especially!)

To me, it's more fun hearing the MC and learning a bit more about her mannerisms that way :) but I believe the game has to offer a mute option (and not only for the MC!), since some voice acting can be rough! Haha

I've never been into self-insert, and in games with blank slate MCs I'll come up with a random name and associate her choices to personality traits as I prefer it that way. Even with RPG games or romance books that feel geared towards self-inserting, I'm more into the observer approach ;b

 

[LapisWhale]

I'm a half-time self-insert, but my reason for turning off voices is slightly different xDddd

When a game has voice acting, I tend to wait for them to finish before moving on, which gets super frustrating because they talk so slowly and I'm a fast reader =))) Another thing is that I find it almost impossible to focus on the text while the audio is playing.

Therefore, the fewer voiced characters the better, or, a mute button for all characters :)) because honestly, there are times when I really dislike certain characters' voices. I don't really know how to explain it, but I just hate high-pitched tones in general, or when the voice sounds too childish or totally clashes with the character design.

 

[eoeoao]

Whether I self-insert depends on the game. As for the heroine's voice, I sometimes turn it off if I don't like it, but I generally keep it on. Personally, I find it easier to get immersed in the story when the heroine is voiced.

 

[arson194835798]

I really prefer having the heroine's voice on! I think it adds a lot to the game, plus I sometimes look away from the screen, so it's nice to be able to catch what's going on audibly.

This is actually one of my gripes about otome gachas, or gacha games in general when they don't have a voiced main character or voiced narration. Especially in Love and Deepspace or Light and Night, where there are audio only modes (Like Tender Moments, where it lets you play the audio in the background/with your phone screen turned off, but since there's no voiced narration nor voiced mc, you're missing around 3/4 of the story and have to use context clues from what the love interests says).

 

[haylie2019]

For me depends on the game. If MC image frequently seen in dialogue line, I prefer voice as I see her as her own character. I natually end up self-inserting if I dont see image of MC constantly in the game.

 

[nerim-w]

It depends on how the voice sounds like! If I find the character and her voice relatable to me then I will self insert, for example someone like Teuta from Bustafellows. If I find the voice and character very different to how I see myself I probably won't self insert but I'll leave the voice on - for example Hibari from VariBari is way too posh and tsundere for me, and shes literally like 17 lol. Self inserting is my guilty pleasure so i will always self insert when I can, but im still always a big advocate for voiced mcs because self inserting with a voiced mc that i find to be relatable makes the experience so much better!!

 

[orionsbestie]

I always self-insert and in the rare case that there is a voice for my avatar/MC I will mute it. I don't need to hear some random lady's voice reading my lines.
As always, I'm the (seemingly) unpopular opinion that thinks unvoiced MCs should continue to be the norm and considers their existence a lot more immersion breaking than giving them a voice.
I'm not sold on the "wanting MC to be her own person" argument for adding voices either. That's not a person. That's an avatar. A character designed to be a stand-in for the player. The only one who is "their own person" in otome is the player, because the player is a real person and not a character like everyone else in the game...

 

[jokerblackjack]

I usually put myself into the game too, so I change the name to my own. I don't really mind whether the voice acting is on or off though — I can enjoy it either way. But most of the time, I end up turning the voices off hahaha. It kind of depends on my mood in that moment.

 

[Kyoko]

I prefer self inserting as sometimes I feel the voice might not fit what I would like my character to be perceived especially since they have different personality choices

 

[totallyamanda]

Self-inserter so it depends on the heroine's voice. If I enjoy it and I don't find it grating, I will leave it on, but more often than not, I'll turn it off. (⭒•͈ 𓎺 •͈ )

I may be in the minority, but voice acting is not neccessary for me, especially for the whole game. I think it's because I read quicker than the voicelines so I wind up skipping spoken dialogue more and more. ¯\ȌᴥȌ/¯

 

[Darmian]

Tbh, i quite enjoy heroines with voices. Im not really a self-insert player, so listening to a heroine who actually has her own voice makes the game more fun for me because i can see what her personality is look like.

 

[Kyoko]

Self-inserter so it depends on the heroine's voice. If I enjoy it and I don't find it grating, I will leave it on, but more often than not, I'll turn it off. (⭒•͈ 𓎺 •͈ )

I may be in the minority, but voice acting is not neccessary for me, especially for the whole game. I think it's because I read quicker than the voicelines so I wind up skipping spoken dialogue more and more. ¯\ȌᴥȌ/¯

OOOO i know what you mean i read faster than the voice line as well so hlaf the gameplay i'll be waiting on the voice lines to finish lol. But i also love the LIs voice lines as well as they do bring emotions and dynamics to the characters. Plus i can learn the language!

 

[yueop]

I don't project myself onto the main character, I use the default name, and I play with the voices turned on. However, I don't listen to the full lines and tend to skip them once I've read the text.

I play otome games just like I'm reading a romance novel or watching a drama. I don't think of the heroine as myself.

 

[hashi]

I generally engage in self-projection-style role-playing, but since the protagonist's voice depends on my personal preference, I usually turn it off. If I don't like it, it distracts me and I can't concentrate on the story. I suppose the speed at which I read the text plays a role, too. On the other hand, if the heroine reads the narrative text, it does mean I don't have to focus on the screen.
But since I usually turn it off, I find myself wishing they'd allocate those resources to the love interests instead of giving the heroine a voice.