"Otome games," a subgenre of games designed primarily for a female audience, cater to women's aesthetic and emotional needs and have gained significant popularity in China. This study examines six domestic Otome games, including Light and Night, and their player communities. Utilizing walkthrough analysis and interviews, the research offers a dialectical interpretation of how female players establish and manage intimate relationships with in-game characters, focusing on the formation and progression of these virtual connections. Additionally, the study investigates the phenomenon of "paper husband" relationships, exploring how these differ from traditional intimacy scripts. Drawing on individualization theory and Eva Illouz’s concept of the "architecture of love choice," the findings reveal that female players in virtual romances seek mutually respectful and egalitarian relationships. They desire romantic partners who embody the traits of sensitive and considerate “new men”; however, their criteria remain partially influenced by traditional patriarchal paradigms of "male dominance, female submission." Importantly, players distinguish virtual romantic relationships from real-life ones, treating the former as a player-constructed "utopia of love" rather than a direct parallel to real-world intimacy. This distinction underscores the unique, escapist function of Otome games in navigating and reimagining contemporary ideals of love and gender dynamics.

Authors:
Tingli Liu, Communication University of China, China
Zihe Xu, Communication University of China, China

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Tingli Liu is an associate professor at the School of Journalism, Communication University of China. Her research interests include feminism, gender studies, and critical discourse analysis.

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