Side portrait MC (Protagonist) vs No side portrait MC?

[Yuhiru]

Every otome games having their own mechanics which varies from one title to other title one of them is MC with side portrait, for some who want fully self insert prefer to turn off the MC side portrait, but not all of otome game title having side portrait MC on. Imo, i prefer MC with side portrait dialogue, because i want to know their expression from how the story flow and moreover it gives them more immersion/characterization too rather than imagining their expression only from their dialogue. How about everyone? Which team are you? Do you like otome games with side portrait MC or no side portrait MC feature?

For example:

VS

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[annaqueue]

Either works. It's nice to have a side portrait in a game; I like seeing the main character's facial expressions. But if the game doesn't have that feature, I wouldn't even notice its absence. Both is good for me.

 

[laranjinha]

i like to self insert and i love mcs with side portraits (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)
imagining myself experiencing the story, but having the portrait there gives me concrete face expressions to picture in the scene. when a game doesnt have one, it ticks me off and i feel like i cant concentrate as much

 

[LivEnblem]

I hadn't really thought about it seriously before XD
Since I tend to immerse myself in the MC's perspective when playing otome games, I actually prefer having illustrations that show her face—it makes it easier to understand what she's feeling in the moment!

 

[osanajimimi]

Either is okay if the story portrait the emotions and narrative, then is doing a great work

 

[Kevin1255]

Definitely team side portrait! I treat the MC as her own distinct character rather than a self-insert, so seeing her facial expressions makes emotional moments and banter hit so much harder. Without the portrait, she can end up feeling like a faceless ghost in the dialogue box, which actually breaks my immersion way more. Having a toggle in settings is always the ideal compromise, but if I have the option, the MC portrait stays permanently turned on!

 

[SmallEagle]

I am fine with whatever, but I prefer without, I prefer a cleaner UI

 

[Nihilistic]

If the protagonist has a voiced name I prefer side portraits. If the character doesn't I prefer no portraits as I insert one of my ocs instead. :)

 

[Daisy Magnus229]

With side portrait, maybe because I love seeing the MC's face and reactions too. Sometimes, you can even see the MC's full-body sprite from someone else's POV!

 

[dogiwall]

While I do like side portraits MCs, I've plenty of visual novels that don't have that so it's not a deal-breaker to me if there's none.

 

[chuubiey]

Both work fine for me, but I kinda prefer no side portraits mc

 

[RoseGold]

I like to have the MC's portrait when she's pretty, because I like seeing her expression. But I've played a couple indie projects where I thought the MC was kind of ugly, and always having her on screen was a bit annoying. I guess it's one of those things where a toggle would be best.

 

[Mikukyun]

I prefer portraits more ! I also don't mind if there's no portrait.

 

[O cha]

I'm a self-insert player, and I actually really like having an MC side portrait! I love being able to see the MC's expressions, because it makes me feel even more immersed in their emotions.

The way I self-insert is that I see myself as the MC while still keeping the MC's own appearance and identity. It's kind of like I'm inhabiting the MC and experiencing the story through their body and perspective.

It's pretty similar to the possession trope you see in so many manhwa and manga these days, haha. The MC still looks like themselves, but I get to experience everything through them, as if I'm the one living their story. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this very well. I feel like I'm making it more confusing the more I try to explain it, haha.

So in the end, I prefer having an MC side portrait because being able to see their expressions actually helps me self-insert and feel more immersed in the story!

 

[fleyrin]

Honestly, I don't really care, but I love my gorgeous heroines, so I do enjoy looking at them

 

[Eril $akurai]

I love it when the mc has a side portrait! Witnessing her reactions to situations makes it easier for me to relate to her.
It's kinda hard to gauge her emotions if we can't see her.

 

[초콥콥]

Anything will be fine.

 

[Watera]

I prefer to see heroine's face and see her facial expressions

 

[raccoonNiko]

I'd love every game to have a side portrait, even if the heroine's expressions are minimal and don't change much. It's such a low-hanging fruit, and for many people it would probably make the experience even better. I think most games with a side portrait for the heroine have an option to turn it off anyway, so both sides can enjoy it however they prefer (*^▽^*)

 

[bonanabread]

I prefer side portraits, especially when the MC has different expressions! I don't self-insert so it's nice to see MC's reactions to various situations. It's not a dealbreaker if a game doesn't have it, though!

 

[lairest]

I would prefer side portraits, sometimes I wanna know MC's expressions when saying those lines (moreover heroines are so pretty I want to see!!!) And most games have option to turn off so why won't add it.

 

[wriovarka]

I am fine with whatever

 

[hib]

I Love Side Portraits ! ! ! !
If You Have A Fleshed Out Character Design For A MC , Show It Off ! ! !
I'm Only Fine With None If It Is Like An Eyeless MC ( Like You See Alot In ASMR ) , I Really Do Understand That . . . .
But Do Include An Option For The Self Inserters Who Don't Want It , It's Good To Have Freedom . . . . .

 

[Pancito]

Honestly, I don't really mind either way. But if I had to choose, I'd say I prefer an MC with a portrait. Since I usually imagine myself as the protagonist, I like being able to see her expressions and reactions because it helps me feel more immersed in the story.
That said, I don't really mind if she doesn't have a portrait either. I can still self-insert perfectly fine, so it's definitely not a dealbreaker for me. (⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)

 

[titus alexius]

MC portrait is always better cause i can see her reactions.