To Each Their Own: Reclaiming the Japanese Otome Genre as Empowering in the West through LudoConsent

Otome games are a genre of game that originated in Japan and are narrative-based, romance-driven games made specifically for women. Otome games have not been traditionally popular in the West, however, this has started changing. Otome games are becoming more popular in the West; this is reflected by the number of Japanese Otome games being translated to English and released in Western markets, increasing year after year. In Otome games, the player controls a female player character and pursues romance with one of the available non-player character suitors. Objections against Otome games come largely from Western feminist groups, scholars and female players who say that due to the nature of Otome games (specifically their pandering to gender stereotypes and biases, their use of the male gaze, and their romantic tropes), they are oppressive to women. This thesis will explore these criticisms further by expanding on how and why Otome games can be oppressive to women in the West and questioning whether scholars and feminists highlighting the oppressive nature of Otome games impact the choices players and developers make when making decisions in regard to the types of games they play and create. Acknowledging both cultural differences and objections to Otome game content, this thesis then explores how the individual experience with an Otome game is personal and unique (like with any game) and that these experiences differ from player to player. It is argued that Otome games, regardless of the problematic content they contain, can create positive and empowering experiences for some female players. This thesis challenges these current perceptions by re-positioning both the Otome genre of games, as well as the choice to consume such content, as empowering for the player base. [...]
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Film School
Arts, Education and Law
Full Text