The Ludonarrative Walking Buff: The Posthumanist (Non)Power of the Otome Heroine

• In Event: Posthumanist Engagements in Education

Abstract

Otome game protagonists are often designed as resonance-based support units, existing primarily to amplify the abilities of male leads rather than possessing independent power. This paper explores the implications of such mechanics through a posthumanist lens, focusing on the popular game, Love and Deepspace and its Evol system, where the female lead’s ability is reduced to “frequency bending”—allowing her to strengthen others while remaining incapable of direct action. Drawing from ludonarrative dissonance, feminist critiques of passive protagonists, and game design theory, this study examines how otome mechanics reinforce limited agency. By theorizing the otome heroine as a walking buff, this paper interrogates the ways in which game systems embed hierarchical relationships into their mechanics, positioning the player-character as a posthumanist construct constrained by coded dependency.

Author

• Mila Zhu, Southeastern Oklahoma State University