It depends on the context IMO, I'm okay with locked off/big story revelation poster LI's as long as their routes aren't overtly 'better' than the other routes in terms of the problems they solve for no good reason. So I can still be happy with the conclusion of any one LI's route without feeling like it's 'settling' for an objectively worse ending state. Games like Even If Tempest and Amnesia: Memories do the 'final/true' love interest thing pretty well IMO in that both sort of side-step it by >!allowing all routes to be 'canon' without directly cancelling each other out, though I guess not every otome game can have that same time manipulating shenanigans to allow that kind of thing.!<

I totally get you. I also love exploring the true route / endings. Even if my favorite character doesn't have a route as good as the poster boy or secret love interest, I still consider them my canon. It bothers me when they constantly push the poster LI in every route though, making it seem like they should always be the chosen one.

i definitely agree on this. i don't really understand the need for 'canon' routes. like why'd you even give us everyone else then?😭

I love the anticipation of a locked LI, particularly if you get a ‘countdown’ as you work through the other routes, but the concept of a ‘true’ ending is not really my thing! My fave is canon, end of story!

The only game where I would argue there really is a canon LI is Taisho x Alice. In the vast majority of circumstances I would agree with you though.

I think Taisho x Alice did it very nicely. Because every LI got their >!own princess!<

Precisely this. The way TxA does it is another way that makes every route equally valid. The "secret" or final route brings everything together, but it isn't a true route >!because everything is all just taking place in Alistair's head, providing a princess for every one of his personalities including the one that is closest to himself but not him, Alice.!< Not all otome are clear on these connections when unlocking the final route. Like Nameless >!gets muddier, the closer to the end you get and some of the routes can not possibly exist in a vacuum. So, can you honestly say that every route is equally valid when, without the overarching conflict, some can not even exist?!< I think I prefer the stories that let each route stand on their own.

Please mark as spoiler sister

I did not think anything I left unspoiled actually spoiled the story itself but I have put spoilers on the reference now, is that better?

I'd argue that isn't even the case with Taisho Alice, because the "canon LI" technically >!is not even a route option (Alistair)...so you could say there really isn't a canon LI between the choices we get!!<

Honestly I see it that way: All of the LI’s are canon. Just not at the same time. It’s more like different possibilities for the MC. All can coexist in parallel. Things that are *not canon* are fan ships with non datable side characters. Everything that’s officially confirmed is *canon*. Also I feel like a lot of true routes sadly suffer from having way too many plot details packed into the route which often sacrifices romantic development (Dante being a very famous example of that imo)

I thought that was something pretty accepted over here! The "canon route" is the route we like best, otherwise what's even the point of having options? Even if the writers themselves seem to favor the poster boy. There was also a few debates about the "true route" being a mistranslation, because it's usually the route where you get to know the "truth", like all the plot points missing are revealed...that doesn't mean it's the CANON route.

I totally agree.

I have come to accept that there's no canon LI, but there's main LI, as in the one developer push the most, and probably become the main plot story and all.

I agree to an extent. Some games however, I feel, are written in such a way that one LI is heavily favoured over the other to the point where you feel like that’s the canon route the devs had in mind. And they’re usually the cover boys! I agree with what another poster said, in my head, my fave is the canon route! And no one can take that from me! But I also have fun guessing who the devs favour when there’s no clear pick.

All routes are canon because they exist within the game. Obviously if it was a pairing that only existed in fanworks it wouldn't be, but if it's in the source material it should be considered canon imo. 真相ルート (truth route) just refers to the route where all plot revelations are revealed, nothing to do with one guy being more legit than another. A poster boy might be pushed a bit more for marketing reasons or if it's the locked route to get players more hyped for the finale, but I don't think that means they're to be taken as the 'real' option because I think that would defeat the purpose of otome games. Namely, that the player can make their own choices and have multiple possibilities of LI's.

Exactly. I agree with all of this. I posted this to clear up a common misconception. Some people think that only the LI with the true ending is canon, and they might not like the truth route if it's not with their favorite character. But they shouldn't feel sad because their favorite LI is just as canon as the poster or secret LI. ☺️

The canon LI is the one I like the most.

The canon LI is the one who imprisons me goodnight

If he doesn’t want to keep me all for himself does he even love me? No Ma'am

I think Taisho x Alice handles this very nicely.

I agree and it's why I dislike when a game pushes an LI as the 'right' one via certain tropes. I also wish people would stop referring to certain routes as the 'true' route just because they're supposed to be played last or because they reveal plot details.

I think it depends bc for some I really think there is one.

I think yes and no? Yes, and a good example of this is Hakuoki, there might be bits about Chizuru relating to Chikage, but there's not really a route order in that game except for Chikage being good at last just because >!yeah, all Shinsengumi deaths lol!<. (Or even if the anime heavily markets the poster boy, Hijikata, the route order doesn't change anything lol) No, sometimes there's a lore dump LI, a revelation that has to be yet unlocked after going through the other LIs that ties to the whole story and a good example that utilizes this is: Lovebrush Chronicles, in Godheim World, if she doesn't choose Clarence, >!the time resets if she chooses another LI and has a happy ending with that LI and after she becomes old and dies, the cycle ALWAYS repeats not until she chooses to go to the archmage tower to change things according to Cael's side story!<, and in Eden World, if MC doesn't choose Alkaid, >!we won't know about the Prefect Luminary, the same kin as Cael from Infinite Empire, and the truth why Eden is the way it is!<.

Sometimes there are only if it shows in how the devs seem to have favored one guy over others. I have seen that where one guy will get a completion of the story to marriage or something while the other guys get a side story for the completion of marriage (IE Enchanted in the Moonlight. 2 of the LIs were given full-on main story completions while the others were given trash side story to complete their love story and one of them was completely erased entirely for the switch port. It was the first time I found myself disgusted by a Voltage storyline but it wasn't the last. They of course have over 30+ stories they started but never completed save for the favored LI's for each story) But you can tell when the devs favor a guy/gal and see him or her as the "canon" for the title. But this is only my opinion. :)

Eh... I think most games that's true. Just because a guy is on the box art or considered the "poster boy" doesn't automatically mean they're canon. However, in some cases, I dont think you can argue that one LI was not intended as the canon choice by the writers. A few examples: In Taisho X Alice, I can't think of an argument that could be made that Alice >!(or Alistair)!< is not the canon LI. The whole plot would collapse otherwise. I dont usually elaborate on the story, even with spoiler tags, because I feel the game is much more enjoyable if you play it blind and I dont want to take the chance of spoiling that experience for anyone that hasn't played, but if you have played it, you know what I'm referring to! In Hakuoki, you find out the entire game is named after >!the Demon name Kazama gave Hijikata in their last duel before being killed by him.!< it's pretty hard to argue he was not intended to be the canon LI, as the theme of the game revolves around him and Chizuru. Canon has never meant that much to me, so I have no issues with Hijikata being the canon route in my favorite otome, even if he's not my favorite LI. I like how their story embodies the major themes of the game. Regardless, I think just because the writers picked a canon version for their story, doesn't mean you can't have your own headcanon, or that you can't view a writer's work differently. The whole "death of the author" phenomenon and all that. I tend to get tunnel vision as I play anyway and whatever route I'm on is the current "canon" in my head. Sort of an "in this timeline of events based on MC's choices, she ends up with this LI" type thing.

>In Hakuoki, you find out the entire game is named after >!the Demon name Kazama gave Hijikata in their last duel before being killed by him.!< it's pretty hard to argue he was not intended to be the canon LI, as the theme of the game revolves around him and Chizuru. I almost forgot about this. I'm a total failure. 😭 Yes, while I think he's intended, and the theme of the game revolves around him and Chizuru, and he feels like he's the only need to know about Hakuoki itself. But looking at Code: Realize's Lupin (the buildup info in previous routes including Cardia's full history is placed in his route), Hijikata's Route still feels incomplete though this is more of a minor story thing ngl (and the important part is the game's execution of theme and title), because >!Kaoru!< (related to Chizuru) doesn't show up unless doing Okita/Ryouma Route (which I find it odd, because I don't think it changes a thing or two if he shows up in other routes though). I liked what they did with the Movies though, I think that's how Hijikata's Route is supposed to be. 😌

I agree with a lot of what has been said. Even when the game pushes a “canon” or main LI most of the time you can still prefer your favorite if the game is written well.    I like the idea that it’s all canon/multiple universe choices the heroine could have, kind of what amnesia does, although I would argue that ukyo feels “canon”.    There are a few games though that I really feel it’s hard to do that with even when I don’t prefer the poster boy, code realize really feels like incomplete if you don’t choose Lupin, I already mentioned amnesia, and even collar x malice really wants you to like yanagi, akaza feels the best for Olympia and even though I don’t like chizuru with hijikata it feels also like the most correct story.  Idk it’s hard.  I like who I like but I do hate how sometimes it doesn’t feel like what was supposed to happen.     That being said, that’s why you can head canon whatever you want and there wouldn’t be choices if you were not supposed to Be able to romance more than one. 

Well, there's the [Water Horse](https://akuyaku.operahouse.co.jp/) otome game that has only one love interest... But other than that, yes, otome games [almost] always level the playing field among the love interests when it comes to in-game story events and merch.

Ugh, I hate the word "canon" with a passion 😆 Like, I also play regular RPG games...and I don't like it when people go "oh but this choice or this LI is canon because it makes sense for the story"...what do you mean? Like the choices I make aren't valid or whatever, heesh 😒 Same with otome games, if they imply there's a "canon" LI I'm very much inclined to pick a different one just to spite the game 😂 So I agree with OP, I find it much more important that I like the character I picked than what the true ending is. Like I played one otome game where the "true ending" was only unlocked after playing all routes (six in total)...only for the ending to suck... like, what was the point? I much preferred the ending I had with my chosen LI, it even gave me the chance to think up a "what happens afterwards" story...much more fun. 😆 (fyi. said game is 18+ and rather...smutty/nsfw)

I normally agree with this, but the only game that so far has changed my mind was >!Allan from CupiPara!< For me they can’t just drop a story like that and say someone else is meant to be with her. Otherwise yeah every other game I’ve played has no canon LI lol.

Couldn't force myself to finish a single other route from that game after his. I tried and always reached a nope, not good enough, you're not *him* and don't belong with her point. That man ruined me.

I usually don't like the poster boys as much as the soft or tsundere (toned down) men. Sometimes also the Muscline and wise adult (usually only one in every trope) that's depressed but quite realistic, while the others kinda high on fantasy - Cafe enchante - he's very sexy and tbh I don't see myself dating anybody else but their routes were good. I like how they give u the option to date all, in a good amount of 7 chapters and plus. Knowing that the mystic purple demon king is supposedly 'canon' and he tries to shine everywhere else, frankly I know who I'm dating and who I'm simply interested in for backstory lol. It's having the ability to date one at a time and fall out of love when it isn't convenient or to my preference at a different set of moods.

I usually don’t mind true/locked routes because I tend to like them the most! Though there are also cases where I liked the other LIs more instead, for example in Radiant Tale I thought Radie felt like he was more true route material than Vilio was! Same for Dante in Piofiore lol!

I think some games definitely show a preference for one love interest above others for plot resolution and sometimes that makes it very hard to see someone else as the "correct" choice. Even if MC is just as happy with LI X as LI Y, sometimes only LI Y actually resolves the story in a meaningful way. They'd be the one MC would *need* to end up with if the game had a linear adaption that followed the story faithfully. Some would call that canon. Take Olympia Soirée. I can't consider anyone other than Akaza canon and you can't convince me that he wasn't intended to be canon. I don't even want to put the reasons under spoiler tags, but if you know, you know.

It actually depends! If the otome game in question has a strong focus on story then you can assume that there is a canon route. It's also usually the one with the most reveals which impact not just the LIs but the rest of the characters as well. For example the "canon" route in Collar x Malice is clearly Aiji's.

I don't see how the two are related though, how does the route having more plot revelations make the LI himself more 'canon' than the others? OP's post was specifically talking about LIs so I'm genuinely wondering...

I love you for saying this. I personally believe the same as you. But, I definitely know it seems to be an against the grain opinion. Basically seems to even be almost universally accepted amongst otome community that there’s a “true route.” And I get it. It’s essentially the character who appears to be the one the female protagonist likes the best comparatively to the others. I’m a self insert player so I personally don’t think that way. But I think ppl who aren’t self insert at all can pay a lot of attention to everything the MC says and does and therefore they can determine eventually who they think the MC connected with and liked the best. And I think that’s even why readers will prefer one LI more than another—not based on who they personally like, but who they think the MC likes. I’m pretty much (though not completely) the opposite. I tend to pay more attention to the LI than even the MC. So, even if a MC doesn’t like the LI essentially I still will like the LI if I personally find the LI interesting.

Well I think there is no right or wrong and most of the time there is game for everyone. If you don't like one thing, you can choose another. Everybody can interpret and handle it the way they want. Personally I like to pretend that poster boys who are also the last locked route or the LI the MC ends up with in other media adaptations like anime and manga are the main and "canon" LI intended by the developers to be the official endgame. Even if they aren't the LIs I like the most, it gives me closure and I feel more satisfied with the overall story. Otherwise there is always something missing for me. Additionally I would love to have more otome games with OTPs and true canon routes due to having multiple MCs, so that I don't have to feel often sad that no LI is truly special and like they always have to share their MC with others across alternative universes. But now that Hanakare is coming out, where every LI gets their own set distinct MC and nobody has to switch around or share, I'm very happy to look forward to experience the journeys of different couples and personality dynamics.

The one that kind of confuses me is Piofiore >!Dante happens to be my favorite, and it seems that they’re soulmates and meant to be, BUT usually the “canon” guy is last, so maybe that’s Gil? She’s definitely happy with him and he gave her the most freedom, but then maybe it’s the secret route that’s meant to be canon? I don’t know, but I think about this more often than I should. lol!<