Otome Daoshi Fighting for Love is a vibrant martial arts inspired otome set in the fictional kingdom of Kayu where a person’s strength determines their worth. To decide the strongest fighter, the best Wushu practitioners in the country are invited to participate in the Tournament of Valor. Unfortunately this year’s tournament doesn’t go as planned when an army of the undead launches an attack on the festivities. Follow Shunlin, a cheerful and upbeat Daoist priestess in training as she fights to uncover the truth behind the attacks alongside a group of Wushu competitors.
Game Details
- Fantasy | Supernatural | Comedy
- Where to Play: Nintendo Switch | Aksys Games
- Price: $49.99 (Standard) | $59.99 (Online Exclusive Edition)
- Gameplay: 20-30 Hours
- Similar Games: Battlefield Waltz | Alaris | Nightshade
About Otome Daoshi
Shunlin lives in the thriving martial arts kingdom of Kayu where she is training to be a Daoist priestess. This year is especially important as the Tournament of Valor will decide the strongest fighter in the country. On the day of the tournament, however, many assailants appear at the arena and attack the spectators.
Experience the conflict and betrayal amongst allies and confront the challenges ahead. As Shunlin struggles alongside her rivals to protect those important to them and their pride, our protagonist fights for her beloved country and for the warrior that she loves!
What will be their fate in the end, and what will the future hold?
Characters of Otome Daoshi
Otome Daoshi has four main routes and one hidden route. At the start of the game Yuhang, Shaowu, and Haoran’s routes are available to play. Longli’s route unlocks after you play the other three routes and once you finish one of Longli’s endings the final love interest unlocks.
You can play the first 3 routes in any order, but I recommend not doing Haoran first since his route delves into some pretty big plot revelations. My recommended play order is Yuhang or Shaowu > Haoran > Longli > Hidden Route
Shunlin (Heroine)
The game’s plucky protagonist. Shunlin is a young woman training under her grandfather, Lihong, as a daoshi. She is a sweet, and at times a bit absentminded, but a capable martial artist. Shunlin is hopeless romantic and is always accompanied by her pet panda, Mimi.
Yuhang (VA. Kazuki Ura)
Yuhang is a cheeky lil tsun. He can be a bit combative and is harsh with his words, especially when he’s embarrassed. Yuhang isn’t the most honest with his feelings, but he’s a sweetheart deep down. He and Shunlin were close when they were kids, but when his family moved to the Northern district they lost contact.
I played Yuhang first, and it was a perfect intro to the world and story of Otome Daoshi. Yuhang’s mentor is suspected to have anti-Wushu sentiments so he and Shunlin team up to investigate. Along the way they attempt to rebuild their friendship, though it is 100% clear that Yuhang is not trying to be just friends with Shunlin.
Unfortunately for everyone, Yuhang is an awkward tsun, so he is constantly putting his foot in his mouth whenever he’s flustered (which happens often). The route is cute, especially if you love tsundere LIs, but it was pretty basic.
Shaowu (VA. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka)
Shaowu the is lone wolf fighter from the Eastern district. With his huge frame and intimidating aura most folks give him a pretty wide berth. He can be pretty brusque with his words, but he has a surprising kind side. Shaowu is a big ol’ teddy bear.
I played Shaowu second, and he had one of the best plotlines in the whole game. His main motivation in life is to meet with the King of Kayu so he can ask him for help uncovering the truth behind the destruction of his village years ago. Of course that goes sideways real quick, so he and Shunlin end partnering up to investigate on their own uncovering dark secrets in the process.
I was here for all that. But, let me be on the record as saying, Shaowu ain’t have no right being a love interest in this game. There was absolutely ZERO romantic chemistry between this man and Shunlin. Like this was crazy work on the writers’ part, because I’m still trying to wrap my mind around how these two ended up a couple at the end of the game. Homies absolutely, because their platonic chemistry was off the charts–I was living for the witty banter and I love me a big strong man with a cute side. But them two as LOVERS, nah.
Haoran (VA. Shogo Sakata)
Haoran is the supportive big brother type. He’s a kind, protective, and gentle guy who works at a local restaurant. He is something of an older brother figure for Shunlin and they often spend a lot of time together. He is soft spoken, preferring to settle issues without conflict.
Of the three routes that you can play at the start, I recommend playing Haoran last. His route starts pretty much the same way Yuhang’s does: Haoran’s mentor is embroiled in shady business, so he and Shunlin team up to investigate. From there the plot drops us right into some pretty heavy story reveals about what’s really going on in Kayu. And it gets good. This was the point that I really started getting invested in the story Otome Daoshi. Before this I was pretty meh on the whole game.
So, in order to preserve your experience, I’ll talk about the romance instead of the plot. Imma be real I was concerned the minute Haoran opened his mouth and said with his whole chest that Shunlin is just his “little sister”. I’ve been down this road before and ain’t nobody got time for another emotionally confused man who is content to tread water in the river of denial in an otome game. HOMIE, THEY ARE NEVER JUST YOUR SISTER! And don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of unnecessary “but she’s my sister” BS all over this route. To the point that Yuhang’s emotionally stunted simp ass calls him out on it. Now, it does take a minute for Haoran realize that the tingle he’s feeling for Shunlin isn’t familial. Despite it being obvious to EVERYBODY, but when he does he IMMEDIATELY course corrects. Man goes from protective big bro to I’m tryin to hit in seconds, and it completely changed everything for me. This is one of the first times in an otome game where I was actively rooting for the Big Bro LI to get his girl.
Longli (VA. Nobunaga Shimazaki) 🔒
Longli is the handsome princely palace official. He is a kind, respected official who works in the palace. Due to his job he is close with the royal family. His gorgeous looks have garnered him a lot of admirers.
I wasn’t prepared for the rollercoaster ride that is Longli, they locked this man up for a reason and I’m still processing. His route is pretty by the book, he and Shunlin team up to investigate who is behind some recent unrest in Kayu… and then this man goes off the rails and that’s all I’m gonna say about that because [REDACTED]. But, what I can say is that Longli is the most gorgeous man, like it’s unfair how pretty this man is. He has the BEST CGs in the entire game, like each one is a work of art! Stunning. Longli is so pretty that it’s easy to let this man get away with almost anything. ALMOST.
I thought Yuhang and Haoran were the biggest simps in the game, but then Longli entered the ring and it was no contest. This man is a very adoring and giving lover. This man would do anything to make his partner happy… do what you will with that information.
Hidden Character
So, Otome Daoshi has a hidden love interest and while Aksys 100% put this man’s CGs on the promo site for the game, the man doesn’t really factor into the story until Longli’s route. So, I’m going to assume y’all don’t know who he is in this review. But, if you want to know who he is, click the banner below and reveal his character section (mild spoilers). If not, skip to the review section.
HIDDEN CHARACTER ROUTE BREAKDOWN (CLICK TO REVEAL)
Uro (VA. Chiaki Kobayashi)
Uro is the sweetest bean and he must be protected at all cost. He is a mysterious man with amnesia that Shunlin meets at outside the palace. He is soft-spoken and courteous, a true puppy dog… and just like any stray, Shunlin adopts him and takes him home.
URO IS THE BEST CHARACTER IN THIS WHOLE GAME! PERIOD! A sweet golden retriever baby boy who loves and adores Shunlin unconditionally… what’s not to love? Anything I say about this man will be a spoiler. But the writers, took the separated childhood friend romance from Yuhang’s route and the plot revelations of Haoran’s route and made them better.
As far as finale’s go the route answered most of the questions I had about the story and added in some extra stuff I didn’t even know I wanted to know. And while I’m down bad for Uro (the man can do no wrong), the route felt kind of rushed. Especially with how they speed ran all the revelations about Uro and his past. Like this could have done with an extra chapter or maybe even introducing Uro as a character earlier in the game to make the pacing feel more natural.
Otome Daoshi Review
Otome Daoshi Fighting for Love is a gorgeous Chinese-martial arts inspired romance, set in the Wushu-centric kingdom of Kayu, where strength is valued above all else. Every year they host the Tournament of Valor, a competition to decide the strongest fighter. This year, Shunlin, a daoshi in training is in attendance with her grandfather to cheer on her childhood friend Haoran. Unfortunately, before things can really kick off a horde of the undead attack, throwing everything into chaos.
Not one to stand idly by while people are in danger, Shunlin jumps into the fray, joining her are four of the tournament’s strongest warriors: Shaowu, an intimidating fighter from the Eastern district; Yuhang, the MC’s childhood friend, Haoran, the MC’s older brother figure, and Longli, a handsome court official. Together they manage to subdue the threat, but the attack reveals underlying anti-Wushu sentiments that threaten to throw the kingdom of Kayu into chaos. To protect their home, Shunlin and co. form an alliance to uncover the mastermind behind the attacks. Each route follows Shunlin as she teams up with one of the four love interests as they travel around Kayu to investigate.
Despite its interesting premise, Otome Daoshi is a pretty simple story overall, making for a more low stakes otome experience. The game doesn’t even have any bad endings, which makes it hard to really build up any tension because you know everything is going to just end happily ever after regardless of the obstacles. Which is fair, otome games are all about wish fulfillment, but I got the sense that it was less a case of trope adherence and more that there wasn’t enough actual story to fill up an entire multi-route otome run time.
In fact, my biggest complaint is that the game doesn’t fully explore any of its main plot elements. Otome Daoshi introduces a world with heavy Chinese inspirations, Wushu and Daoism is at the very foundation of everything in Kayu. But, for how important we’re “told” these concepts are to the worldbuilding and lore of the game, they don’t really add much depth to the story. Otome Daoshi loses out on some of the immersion because of how surface level everything is; I hate to say it but I kind of miss the long winded lore dumps from Olympia Soiree.
Otome Daoshi is an otome with an interesting premise and they don’t do anything of substance with it. Like what even is the point of the game being about Wushu if you don’t even talk about what wushu is or why the characters even do it?! For comparison, in Battlefield Waltz, each of the love interests all specialize in specific form of combat that utilizes weapons that have cultural or practical significance to the characters. For example, one of the LIs, Pash comes from a country that favors a more physical brawler style of fighting. Because of that he uses clawed gauntlets instead of a sword when fighting, which allows him the freedom of movement during battle. And that’s just one character, they all have reasons for fighting the way they do that are explored throughout the story.
But, in Otome Daoshi aside from Haoran specifically mentioning he chooses to use Wushu as a form of self defense rather than combat, there is no mention of any other character having a significant reason to fight the way they do. Like, Longli is described as using a more elegant, dance like fighting style, but they never explore that outside of Shunlin gushing about how pretty he looks when fighting. Such a missed opportunity to flesh out a MAIN character and his motivations.
On that note, the romance in this game is cute and lighthearted, think puppy love or the early stages of first love. Lots of blushing and cute moments, but nothing more intense than hand holding or longing stares. If I’m being honest the romance feels rushed in every route that isn’t Haoran’s (and maybe the hidden character’s route). I just don’t feel like the characters spend enough time together to fully develop deep romantic feelings, certainly not enough to start talking about marriage in some of the endings. But, it’s an otome, so there must be romance.
But, complaints aside, Otome Daoshi is a gorgeous game. Like the visuals really make this experience stand out from other otome games. I love the Chinese-inspired character designs and the vibrant colors. The whole aesthetic for the game is top tier and in addition to the usual otome CGs, Otome Daoshi has these really cool animated manga sequences, that highlight some of the more dramatic scenes. It gives the game a more dynamic feel that works well with the more action heavy story. There is even anime styled preview narration at the end of each chapter which is cool too. But, these features kind of made me wish I was experiencing Otome Daoshi as a manga or an anime instead of an otome game.
Is Otome Daoshi Fighting For Love Worth Playing?
With it’s beautiful Chinese-inspired aesthetic, dynamic manga styled action sequences, and likeable characters, Otome Daoshi is a solid and fun otome experience. It’s a short, lighthearted game that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, so for folks looking for a reprieve from some of the more melodramatic otome games out there, this is definitely a must play. I had a lot of fun with Otome Daoshi, the characters are great and I honestly didn’t dislike any of the LIs (a rare occurrence). Shunlin is a fun refreshing heroine who is just as dynamic as her male counterparts.
But, let’s be clear, Otome Daoshi is a pretty mid tier otome game. It doesn’t delve into anything too complex or offensive, which may be frustrating if your looking for something with more depth. But, if you want something fun and vibrant to lose yourself in for a few hours, Otome Daoshi is the perfect game for you.
Big thank you to Aksys Games for providing a copy of Otome Daoshi Fighting for Love for this review.
“This man would do anything to make his partner happy… do what you will with that information.”
Hmm…okay okay, I’ll write that down! Lololol Really enjoyed this review! I think I’ll probably check this one out if it goes on super sale. A few of the routes sounded interesting, but depth is what keeps me coming back to otome games not the shallow stuff.
He’s a special boy and that’s all I’ll say lol
Glad you liked the review! I liked Otome Daoshi overall, but it’s definitely a sale game. Cute, but not a MUST play right away game.
Naja rooting for the onii-san?! I better lock tf IN and get to his route and witness some SORCERY 👀👀👀
IKR something must be up in the universe lol
Hi! Just wanted to say that I noticed you only mentioned in the price section those for the Digital Edition and Plus Edition (AKA the Online Exclusive Edition on the Aksys Store). For anyone who wants a physical Standard Edition, you can find it on Amazon for the same price as the Digital Edition. Note that it is currently releasing April 9th, about two weeks after today’s release date.
I hope it’s okay for me to ask, but since you’ve worked with Aksys before, Naja, do you know anything about why they didn’t offer this Standard Edition on their online store? Thank you in advance.
Hey! So that was a mistype on my end. I should have said Standard edition (I updated it). But, the price for digital/physical standard is the same. Also, if you click the link for aksys games it leads to the Otome Daoshi game page from Aksys that has links for Amazon, Gamestop, and VGP (it’s easier than listing a ton of links).
To your question not sure, they usually do include both versions on their site. Could be a number of reasons, but they most likely want to push the online exclusive edition on their storefront over the standard.
Thank you for the quick response! I contacted Aksys and they mentioned selling both standard and online exclusive editions can vary. I think you’re right about wanting to push the online exclusive edition. Thanks again!
This game doesn’t have any bad end? Seriously? Like, nothing at all? Absolutely zero? That’s very shocking. I could tell this is more light-hearted just from the art and trailer, but I didn’t expect that there won’t be bad ends.
So far, Shaowu and secret LI got me interested the most among the LIs. Yuhang the typical tsundere, I feel he’d be predictable. Haoran being the big brother LI is a trope that more than often frustrates me the most, so I can’t say that I look forward to him much. Longli, I feel neutral about him, but I am curious after what you said about his route.
I was really disappointed by this one! Still have some hope for the hidden route. The Haoran route really felt like the pair were just manipulated into a romance. I need otomes to normalize opposite gender close friendships!! I don’t expect much in the evolution of gender stereotypes but it was honestly making my eyes roll back in my head.