Quest for love: gender representation in online otome game communities

Abstract

Otome games are a niche category of video games that originated from Japan and is marketed specifically to women. Studies on otome games have focused on exploring the gender representations of characters and fan community engagement, yet the online otome game communities remain largely unexplored. This research explores how players negotiate novel forms of gender representation within the online Reddit forum, r/otomegames. Qualitative research methods were used: online participant observation followed by an inductive content analysis of forum threads, together with 9 semi-structured interviews with sub community members. Drawing on the constructionist approach to the theory of representation and the circuit of culture framework, findings elucidated how players engaged with gender representations in otome games, navigated community dynamics, and shaped cultural norms within the community.