What do you think about faceless MC ?

[haru0117]

I don't really like it either.

 

[Foxfire]

I don't like it either faceless MC.

 

[Scarlette]

Errr honestly I don't really like it maybe it would be good for me if I was the type of otome game player who does self insert but I don't like the concept of self insert when playing otome games so I prefer if I can see the mc's face because it feels much better

 

[1chi]

Oddly enough, I'm much more tolerant of gray, bald MCs in indie otomes than I am of faceless MCs in Japanese otomes.........

 

[freidynes]

definitely not my type since i kinda self-insert fine even with a faced MC...but self-insert aside, i prefer a faced MC still because i also like seeing their sprites while playing..

 

[はなび]

I'm sorry, but I don't really like it. Unless that's her actual character design that is acknowledged in the story, I don't like when her face just doesn't exist - honestly kind of scary. I personally don't understand how removing her eyes even makes her more relatable, as the rest of her still exists anyway, and I feel like having a face and a full design actually helps with empathising with her, and thus relating to her (because you see her face and expressions and therefore her as an overall person more easily). Having a full character design instead of making her faceless or trying to make her as generic as possible allows for careful choices like symbolism in her design that enhance the story.

And art, like in CGs, just looks better if she is fully drawn just like the other characters, otherwise the disparity between her and the love interests (and sometimes even the side characters and extras - why do they get a face but not the protagonist lmao) is too much and I can't even buy that anything romantic is happening if one party has no face. Those (intended) doki doki romance CGs would just feel horrific instead to me. I guess the game is still succeeding in making your heart beat faster but in a different way jsldkfj. It just breaks my immersion because it's not realistic (unless that is actually her intended design that is seen in universe) for a character to just randomly not have a face and everyone just treats this as if it were normal, especially since everyone else has a face. And so much expression is shown through the eyes - being able to see them would help add so much context and emotion and humanity to her character, her lines and the story overall. I just feel like it's a shame to make her faceless - I of course prefer always seeing her (sprites etc), but if they wanted to hide her, I would rather they hide her entirely (not show up in CGs etc) instead of just removing her face (although this is not ideal for me either).

 

[cinderella]

it used to not bother me buuut it makes the cgs look really really awkward lol

 

[geddanof]

I used a translator, so hopefully there are no grammatical errors.

Machine translators are generally pretty good at getting the grammar right, believe it or not. The real problem is how well they can manage to output something that conveys the meaning and nuances of the original text.

 

[Albeett]

I think it's better when the MC isn't faceless and has a proper design, because it makes the story feel more alive. Having a voiced protagonist is also a big plus. The MC is a central figure in the story's world, so they should be given the best characterization possible.

 

[ozkun]

Having a visible face for the MC makes it much easier for me to immerse myself in the story. I feel like she's a real character who actually impacts the game (after all, I'm the one controlling her, so it's better if she has a clear role). A faceless MC just looks like an NPC or a minor character with a vague presence. Usually, faceless MCs aren't given much detail in terms of hair or appearance, which makes them feel bland, it makes me lose interest in watching her interact with the male characters.

ps: Also, I recently discovered a game that doesn't even have an MC sprite!!! Excuse me??? It's 2026 - a faceless MC is already a turn-off, and I've already given up on voice acting, but now there isn't even a sprite? Yes, I'm talking about Radiant Tale. Everything in that game is beautiful, except the MC doesn't have a sprite. Why? :) I wouldn't say anything if it were just a budget game, but this is clearly a game with a lot of investment in art and plot, so I'm really baffled.

 

[biari]

big W for self-inserters (me included)

 

[Murakuro]

I don't mind faceless mc. But I do prefer them with face. I self insert a lot and them having a face just feels easier to do for me.

 

[ichigofuji]

I don't care much. As long as the plot is well-written, that's fine.

 

[shyshy1441]

Even though I enjoy self inserting, I like my MC to have a face :)

 

[Altorese]

don't really like them, it looks strange and unsettling for me

 

[mizumachi]

i prefer mcs with a face, and extra points if the otome has her portrait on screen too. i'm not opposed to faceless mcs given that they still do have an appearance of some kind. i think sympathy kiss did a pretty good job with it

but i don't like the faceless grey blobs that you kinda see in mainly western works. i get it's the most gender neutral approach, but if anything i would prefer if it was first person so i don't have to see it

 

[neroro]

I understand why some games have faceless mc for immersion but I prefer mc with a face because whenever i play otome games, i never imagine myself as the mc.

I would leave the mc names as default and love it when the LIs calls her name.

 

[luvsubaru]

i don't like it

 

[Syntaxcha]

Im not really bothered with MC not having eyes in CGs but the ones where MC are just a base model made me just laugh so much. While I do understand that devs wants their audience to feel like the MC and customization is a hassle to do but please no more base model MC as it ruins an otherwise good art.

 

[Xyer]

I personally do not like faceless protagonists.

I understand the logic behind it, but it still looks awkward and the differences in detail between the FMC and the LIs is not something appealing to look at imho.

Though there haven't been much otoge with faceless FMCs in recent times? I guess the're mostly a product of the past and the audience prefers protagonists who are just as much curated in their design as their LIs.

I believe that danseimuke bishoujo games still have a lot of faceless protagonist, although admittedly I barely if ever play them and if I happen to do so, the MCs have detailed faces.

They kinda remind me of Nopperabo...

 

[Somniari]

personally, not a fan... when i see a faceless mc my first thought will be "am i reading hentai?"

 

[ninnikuryona]

i think it depends for me! if a game is on the pure "lovey-dovey" self-insert side, i think im totally fine with faceless mcs. kinda like in hatsukare ecchi which is basically just a porn cddrama with pictures haha. because thats like, the entire point right? however, if a game is about the plot/story, like pretty much most of them are, i find it very hard to cope with faceless mcs. i LOVE seeing my girl showing emotions and express her own opinions!! i dont hate faceless/mute mcs however. all mcs are precious to me:)

 

[uzzzzu12]

I like when MC has face, voice and personality

 

[thesunkissed]

i'm personally not a fan of the faceless MCs...they look a little goofy to me, but they don't make me wanna completely drop the story, its just...a bit of a turn off..

 

[kokonefuwas]

it's a big negative for me if the mc is faceless. i want to see their story and who they are, not just project onto them