What do you think about characters who smoke?

[Momoo777]

I really dislike people smoking in real life too, but for some reason, I'm totally fine with it in otome games. Maybe it's because, at the end of the day, it's a game and I don't actually have to smell the smoke myself?

Although… if we ever get fully immersive VR otome games in the distant future, I could definitely see myself being like, "Wait, I can actually smell the cigarette smoke?" and suddenly finding it a lot less appealing. Haha.

Yes! And that is the true beauty of immersing in otome games and drama CDs. In real life, if you dislike smokers, you would never choose a partner who smells like tobacco or gives bitter kisses. Yet, drama CDs and games satisfy that exact craving—allows imagination of the intimate gestures... For me,,I really enjoy the atmospheric breathing sounds without any of the actual smoke

 

[failedwebsite]

I think smoking is really gross. Imagine kissing such a person. I legit despise real-life smokers - they are on par with heroin junkies and toothless meth zombies to me.

I would prefer authors to start employing more creative, "cool" bad habits for their characters so they can stop unintentionally promoting smoking.

They never will because drug consumption is a huge taboo in Asia. Even though many 'illicit substances' are actually less harmful than tobacco. You won't get a pill addict either, because that would be 'edgy' and 'promoting harm' (while a character self-harming into lung cancer is viewed as just a quirky preference).

 

[3302325939]

I don't really like smoking in real life either, but I've never minded it in otome games. I think it's because the characters who smoke really suit the habit. I've never personally found it attractive, though—but oh...! I suppose that is a preference some people have. There seem to be quite a few people like that here, too!

 

[Riz.]

I actually find the way men smoke attractive in real life too! I'm a smoker myself, and funny enough, the reason I started smoking was because I thought a guy I liked at the time looked so cool when he would quietly smoke by himself.

So I kind of feel like it's not necessarily the act of smoking itself that's sexy, but rather that the person who is smoking already has something sexy about them. That's my theory, anyway!

 

[Aikourou]

It depends on how old the character is, An older man smoking is always got be hot

 

[zzzero]

I really dislike it in real life, but sometimes it feels attractive in the media. But if there's a scene where it's smoked indoors, I think I'd dislike it

 

[adlo]

If a characters smokes I don't particularly find it an attractive trait but I don't hate it either. I think it can add to the aesthetics and characterization of a fictional person, though I will say I kind of prefer smoking scenes to be really short or just show up in a cg/sprite. In real life I do not like it at all lmao I personally stay away from people who smoke regularly after being with relatives who do it often I can't stand it anymore.

 

[801_9ma]

Count me in the camp of people who hate smoking IRL but find it hot in media. Hell, I can't even stand vaping either LOL—though I've never seen any vaping in any media whatsoever and I assume it's a mix of it being too recent and it just not looking appealing enough.

At least a fictional character won't be hurting himself when he smokes 2 packs of cigs a day. :')

In the same vein, I love characters who are alcoholic, but I'm not too hot on alcohol IRL besides an occasional drink once in a blue moon.

 

[藍色水珠]

There's a certain allure to anime characters who smoke: whether it's a pipe, a hookah, or a modern cigarette, watching the smoke rise and swirl around them as they inhale and exhale, their expressions shifting between pensive melancholy and confident hoodlum style, it's quite captivating.


But in real life, I keep my distance. I don't want to inhale secondhand smoke and risk harming my health, haha.