So, this is tricky territory. Being known to be a woman of rather strong opinions, I often get quite impatient with what should be an on-screen representation of myself. The MC (main character) gets flustered easily and is often a prude. While she is usually not a virgin, she certainly tends to be the shy, demure kind of person. We are given choices to react throughout the game, and personally, I often find that “punching him in the face” is the only acceptable option under the circumstances. Sadly, that’s never a choice I get to make. Whenever the MC does slap the offending man, she does it for reasons that are rather foreign to me.
There are very notable exceptions to this overall pattern, but a general sense of helplessness often accompanies the protagonist, obviously triggering the protective instincts of the gentlemen to some extent. She is usually not stupid. The MC is often portrayed as a capable, resourceful, and plucky individual. She is commonly described as “innocent”, and is often foolhardy. She believes in the fundamental good in people, even in the face of the Domineering Asshole. She is exceedingly patient.
There have been versions of her where I rolled my eyes a lot, but others where I was pleasantly surprised. There were even a few stories that I was not really interested in until I met the MC and simply liked her a lot.
Since these games are Japanese, I must assume that the MC is still the idealised version of the Japanese woman. As such, I try not to impose my decidedly European viewpoint on her. But it is hilarious to me how the MC can freak out at the sight of a naked male torso, or the guy kissing her on the cheek. These are the kinds of situation that don’t even register as sexual on my scale, but the MC tends to lose it completely. So yeah, I roll my eyes a lot. 😉
Speaking of eyes: the MC in Voltage Inc.’s games don’t seem to have any. I have no idea what the reasoning behind this is. It’s kinda creepy. Is it so that we can better project ourselves onto the blank canvas that the MC is supposed to be? No clue. But yeah, creepy.
Pretty Boys All in a Row 