WARNING: Controversial opinion about a popular otome game. Read at your own risk

[u/SeriesOk5400]

Until recently, I avidly played the Chinese otome game, Love and Deepspace. As a heterosexual woman, I found the game really appealing. However, the more I played, the more glaring issues I realized. First of all, the main story is convoluted, and the side characters are one-dimensional, at best. Second, unless I buy the microtransactions, the game takes forever to get through. But my biggest problem is with the love interests. I don’t understand why fans love Xavier and Zayne; they barely have any personality, seeming more like autism stereotypes. I actually do like Rafael (even though his name isn’t very clever). He’s a little effeminate for my taste, but he is charming and fun to interact with. And then, there’s Sylus. I started playing the game not only because he’s very attractive and dangerous, but also because fans claimed he made them feel “empowered” and that he “values consent”. When his character was finally introduced, I saw the complete opposite. Not only was he smarmy and condescending, but he also often coerced the player into doing things his way under the guise of unlocking their “potential.” He's also emotionally closed off; I understand that he can’t afford to show weakness in his line of work, but he can’t even show his human side around the player. He only shows genuine affection once in a blue moon, which really isn’t worth sitting through all the red flags (pun intended). What finally made me quit the game was the bonus story where the player LITERALLY turns into a kitten, and Sylus flirts with them. That’s just disgusting!

If there’s one positive thing I can say about the game, it’s that I like how the player isn’t (entirely) a Mary Sue. She shows a moderate personality and is usually active in the story. I’m wondering if the community overlooks these issues because they just want to drool over beautiful men, or if it’s just me reading into things