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What do you value more in otome: the plot or the romance?

If I really have to pick, it would be the plot for me. I can handle otome games with lackluster romantic interactions between the MC and the ML of that route, but if the plot is nonsensical and ends up infuriating me, I wouldn't enjoy it anymore. There have been times where I really love the ML's personality and character in general but I was so frustrated with the writing in his route that I had to push myself to finish it just for the sake of completing it
 
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It's a tough call, but if I had to choose, I'd go with how the story flows.

If things feel too rushed or surface-level, I just can't get into the world or really care about the characters. For me, romance only really hits home when you see the relationship build up step by step.
 
Honestly, I can't give up on either the story or the romance! It would be great if they were blended well, but... it is hard to find works like that. Especially since they often depend on personal taste. If I had to choose one, I'd definitely go with the romance. After all, it's an otome game 😉
 
Both, please. Make the game 90 hours long, I don't care. I just want plot AND romance in my games 😭 I find a pain the trend of having a heavy plot game first to have a fandisk later because when the fandisk releases I don't remember all the details from the first game anymore...
 
For an otome, I definitely prefer romance because that's the genre I'm looking for when I play them. In general, though, I prefer a strong plot with romance as a subplot
 
I feel like so many games (mostly Otomate) really neglect the romance for the sake of the plot. I usually leave those games feeling kind of... underwhelmed? Even a lot of their fandisks aren't as romance-driven as I would've hoped.

One of my favourite otome games ever is Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 1 and that game doesn't really have much of a "plot" outside of regular school life and the opening/closing scenes. But the gameplay and romantic interactions more than make up for it!

For me if there's not going to be a lot of romance I at least want more interactivity/gameplay... If a game has a lack of romance AND no gameplay I'm a lot less likely to enjoy it tbh.
 
The romance will always be the the most important aspect for me. Like if it has unique interesting plot then that's just a bonus.
 
It's all about story, story, and story for me. A solid plot can make up for weak romance, but if the overall story sucks, there's no way the romance can pull through.
 
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I would love meaningful plot than romance. The interesting stories are good to read with good setting and plot that are unique. I love plot like Viche Evermore that are sad and solve the mystery of the early death at the end. Olympia Soire have good setting how people separated based on hair color in the society. It was interesting how the character grow in the rough environment and try to change things together with male lead. It could be a bit romance in there but I would think good plot make the characters relationship to grow stronger from the struggles.
 
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Arguably, a romantic plot is still a plot. Obviously, in Otome (and more in general, in romance-focused media), the main draw is a the romantic plot, so I don't mind having a weaker overarching plot and a stronger romantic plot (so long as it's not done completely horribly). Vice versa, a romantic plot that is too weak would leave me disappointed. Though I obviously prefer it when they're balanced properly.
 
Definitely plot for me. Yes, I like the romance and I'm a sucker for pretty art, but if the plot isn't entertaining enough I can't get myself through a complete VN.
Before playing 終遠のヴィルシュ -EpiC:lycoris- I couldn't finish VNs, but this one just got me so hooked I was playing it every free minute I had just because the plot was so good. Yes, there are bits of the game and plot that were not great, but they didn't ruin the game for me.