All 3 have essentially suffered some type of loss; Jill lost her sister, Maya has lost her father's love, the MC lost his Mom.
All 3 have, in some way or another, suffered some form of bullying; Jill from some as-yet unknown person(s), Maya from her father's strict religious upbringing, the MC from bullies at school.
So all 3 have some shared experiences, and I'd even say that both Maya
and Jill need to do some growing; Jill has a silver-spoon mentality and is too easily trusting, Maya needs to stand up to her Dad and stand on her own 2 feet.
I think both are good matches for the MC, but Jill and the MC is too similar to the MC's Dad and Lynette. Sure, that might seem quite poetic if he too got together with a rich heiress who went against her family's wishes to run away with some poor schlub, but that similarity makes it kinda bland.
Also:
So the MC would be gay?
Number 1... I'd play the shit out of a gay MC who grew up under a religious nutjob father story. Sounds interesting and drama filled.
And two: I am one of those people here that kinda dig the "poetic echo" theme of Jill & MC route in regards to Neil and Lynette. It does hold its own storytelling appeal, this idea of history rhyming on the same beat with different verses. It's the basic idea that gave Star Wars its own identity, for example.
Other paths have their own themes as well. What I surmise ( or you could say, as an opinion, think what they are) about them:
Josy& MC : Wrong time, wrong place, right person, a bit cliche but effective romantic comedy / drama trope.
Maya route: Examination into gender / sex separation, and a story of emotional abuse vs emotional support. ( I think Maya's story / solo route if DPC makes it is the most impactful theme in this game)
Sage story / route: Regardless if Sage is pursued or not, her story is one of rage and repression. A lifetime of emotionally walled off family made her into what she is, and her outlets are not exactly healthy. She goes to either full lust or full rage as pressure valves. This story, if romance is pursued, is all about nudging her to find a healthier way forward. ( Funny enough, I think Sage's path might be the real "female empowerment" route in the game.)
Now. The controversial one.
Bella route: Due to the revelations still to be made in this storyline, it's hard to determine the overall theme. There is a definite Oedipal complex vibes running through it, as well as the unmistakable undercurrent of tragedy. This one has the potential to go in many different themes and routes, a schizophrenic's examination or inability to deal with massive loss or a reverse Unfaithful situation (Richard Gere, Diane Lane, 2002 movie)
People aptly point out that this game has very clear roots in American Pie, but let's be honest. That's a jumping off point at best. With the main and side plots all moving forward, this is %10 American Pie, %20 The Wire (Quinn, I'm looking at you), and various measures of different teen dramas, female-centric dramedy ( dont believe me, just look at Cathy and Jade), a pinch of CW Riverdale ( as ridicilous as it is.)
There is merit in all main LI routes, as well as different storytelling opportunities. If any one of you is choosing to hate Maya / Josy / Bella / Sage / Jill, you are obviously not doing out of artistic sensibilities, as all of them are very appealing 3D assets. You are reacting to their story themes and portrayals, and that's okay.
We all lean into different tropes.
I personally like my main playthru to be of a largely honest MC who is going all in for Jill, all the while supporting all his friends as best he can. I am a sucker for those "a man can only do what he best can" type of protagonists. Some of you love the massive DIK tropes ( after all, this is sort of a power fantasy, not unlike a superhero story), some of you have shown massive interest in Quinn and helping her find redemption. (A clear preference for those 'love heals you' trope)
It's all valid. So far, DPC didnt drop the ball and created a discordant theme ( though Bella path is very tricky if he does it wrong, we'll see)
