Tag: otome games

Confessions of an Otome Gamer: Otome Game Fans are REAL Gamers

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So, when I wrote my anime gatekeeping essay, I was actually attempting to write about gatekeeping in the games community. But, I ended up running super long with the intro and rather than writing a ridiculously long post on gatekeeping, I decided to split the difference and write two separate posts. However, don’t get it twisted, gatekeeping in the gaming community is something I’ve been wanting to talk about for a VERY long time, I just wanted to be sure that when I finally penned this post, that I didn’t devolve into incoherent ranting. I try to keep things classy here.

So, for those of you that don’t know, “gatekeeping” is what happens when elitism, entitlement, and privilege are allowed to run unchecked, resulting in a select group of individuals taking it upon themselves to preserve the sanctity of a particular “thing” by regulating what is and isn’t acceptable. Like bouncers who keep unwanted individuals from entering an establishment, gatekeepers act as the buffer between true fans of a medium and the uninformed masses. Gatekeepers see themselves as true fans, working tirelessly to ensure that the sanctity of their media isn’t tarnished by those they deem unworthy. The problem is that these individuals take things to the extreme, devaluing anyone and anything that doesn’t align with their “vision” of what a true fan should be… and it is this behavior that creates a lot of unnecessary negativity.

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Taisho x Alice Otome Review – A Twisted Fairytale Adventure

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As usual I’m behind the rest of the otome games fandom—it’s been about a year since Pencil released their localization of the fairytale inspired otome game Taisho x Alice: Episode I and I’m just getting around to playing it. Now, this isn’t the first time this game has made it’s way stateside. Many of us still remember the now infamous E2Gaming localization fiasco of 2017, that brought “Hiragana Alice” and “Katakana Alice” to prominence. But, it seems that the second time’s the charm for Taisho x Alice, with Molly Lee (known also as Verdelish) taking the reigns in this greatly improved English translation of the game—and fan response has been overwhelmingly positive. So now, with the otome community’s collective stamp of approval I figured now was as good a time as any to give Taisho x Alice a try and boy do I have some thoughts about it.

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For those of you not familiar with the game—Taisho x Alice is a re-imagining of popular fairytales, but with a twist—each of the love interests are gender swapped versions of famous characters like Cinderella and Snow White! The game was originally released in Japan in 2015 for PC and was split into four episodes, each with two LIs. The first episode features Cinderella and Red Riding Hood’s stories; the second—Kaguya and Gretel; the third episode— Snow White and the Wizard; and the fourth and final episode focuses on Alice. In the game you play as an amnesiac young woman who must navigate the mysterious Looking Glass World and save your Prince Charming, guiding him towards his happily ever after.

Game Details

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5 Reasons You Should Play Collar x Malice

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Collar x Malice is the newest otome game localization to make its way to the Nintendo Switch—the console that is quickly making itself the hub for otome fans after the death of the Playstation Vita. Anyone who played the game back when it was released here in the west will tell you that Collar x Malice is one of the best otome games to make it’s way stateside—with it’s engaging story and stellar cast of characters—this is one of the games that I most recommend to folks looking to make the jump to otome games.

Collar x Malice is a detective mystery otome game that was published in Japan by Idea Factory under their Otomate brand of games in 2016. The following year in 2017, Aksys Games released an English language localization of the game for the PS Vita. Collar x Malice follows a rookie police officer who is unwittingly drawn into a series of gruesome crimes when she is kidnapped and collared by the terrorist organization, Adonis. It’s a race against the clock and failure isn’t an option. With her life on the line and the fate of the city hanging in the balance, Ichika must team up with a group five strangers—some of which are former police officers—in order to uncover the truth behind the X-Day Incidents and Adonis.

So, if you are still on the fence about whether or not to snag a copy of this game now that it’s available on the Swith, here are 5 reasons you should totally be playing Collar x Malice!

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5 Games Like Taisho x Alice

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs it’s time once again for another Games Like post—the blog series where you guys vote on the otome game and I go out and find five games that are similar to them. Last time I wrote a list of 5 Games Like Code Realize and this time around I ran a poll over on Twitter and 23 of you guys voted for Taisho x Alice!

Taisho x Alice is a game that has been localized in English not once, but twice. The first time was the infamously bad localization done by E2 Gaming, that not only had a laughably subpar translation, but absolutely terrible English voice acting. Thankfully, Primula decided to take matters into their own hands, with their parent company pencil handling the localization this time around. The OtomeArmada’s own Verdelish worked on the translation for Episode 1 and she definitely brings her own unique flair to the English version.

For those of you unfamiliar with the game, Taisho x Alice is a re-imagining of popular fairytales, but with a twist—each of the love interests are gender swapped versions of famous characters like Cinderella and Snow White! The game was originally released in Japan in 2015 for PC and was split into four episodes, each with two LIs. The first episode features Cinderella and Red Riding Hood’s stories; the second—Kaguya and Gretel; the third episode— Snow White and the Wizard; and the fourth and final episode focuses on Alice.

So far, only the first episode has been released, but there are plans to release the subsequent episodes in the near future. So while we’re waiting for the rest of the Taisho x Alice games to be released here in the West, here are five game titles that are sure to help fill the void! As always, I tried to go with games that have a similar vibe to TaiAli so don’t expect games that are play by play clones. Now, with that out of the way, let’s check out five games like Taisho x Alice!

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Creating the Ideal Partner: The Adaptive Nature of Heroines in Otome Games – May 2020 “Adapt” OWLS Blog Tour

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It’s time for another OWLS Blog Tour, most of you were probably directed here after reading Scott’s post about Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars, and if you haven’t read his post I definitely recommend giving it a read!! If you stumbled upon this post by chance, welcome to Blerdy Otome!

For those of you newbies, I am a part of a group called OWLS and we are a group of bloggers and vloggers that hope to spread a message of acceptance and understanding through thoughtful community activism! We use our love of pop-culture and other media to discuss a wide range of topics. Each month we host themed Blog Tours where we discuss topics we feel are important to the greater fandom community. In the wake of the current pandemic and the many changes it has caused in our lives, this month’s tour is all about adapting.

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Right now, we all have lost something or gained something in return during this dark time. Our lives have been completely altered due to coronavirus. For this month, we will be talking about anime series and other pop culture media where we have characters having to adjust to changes in their environment. Whether it’s adjusting to a new school or heading towards an isekai fantasy world, we will be discussing characters that had to make changes within themselves in order to adapt to the circumstances they are in. This will also give us an opportunity to express our own personal lives as we try to adjust to a “new normal.”

– May 2020 Blog Tour Prompt

As is the theme with these blog tour posts, I struggled to come up with a topic, so I decided to fall back on what I know—otome games. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, ‘otome’ refers to a sub-genre of story based visual novels aimed primarily at girls and women, where the main objective is to romance a group of attractive male characters, known as love interests.

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5 Games Like Code Realize

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It’s been a long time since I popped out one of these Games Like posts. Part of me wants to say the delay was brought on by real life obligations, but really I had a hard time thinking of games like Code Realize. I ran the twitter poll back in October, but this post has been sitting in my drafts these past few months because I wanted to pick games that really did Code Realize justice (and fingers crossed that I actually did that).

Last time I wrote a list of 5 Games Like Collar x Malice and this time around I’m bringing you guys a list of 5 games like Code Realize. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, Code Realize is a steampunk fantasy, featuring a cast of characters based on famous literary and historical figures. Code Realize was developed by Otomate for the PS Vita in 2014 and later released internationally in 2015. In the wake of the fall of the PS Vita, Code Realize has made the move to the Nintendo Switch. The game follows Cardia—a young woman whose body produces a deadly poison that melts anything she touches—spends her days in an abandoned mansion to protect others from her affliction. Labeled as a monster by the locals, Cardia resigns herself to a life of loneliness until Royal Guards break into the mansion and attempt to capture her. She is saved by infamous gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, who promises to help her find her father, the only person who might be able to remove the poison coursing through her veins.

Code Realize has been universally praised by otome fans for it’s immersive story and well developed characters. It’s definitely a stand out among otome game titles, managing to balance romance and good, solid storytelling. So if you’ve played Code Realize and you’re looking for something similar to dive into, here are five game titles that are sure to hit the spot! I tried to go with games that have the same feel as Code Realize and not so much a play by play clone of the game. So, they’re not exactly the same, but, they definitely capture the spirit of the game.

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5 Games That Have Had The Biggest Impact On My Life (So Far…)

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A little while ago Lizzo from Soulcial Dreamers included me in one of those Twitter tags that are always making the rounds. I usually ignore most of these, because the Twitter notifications for these can get into the triple digits… and they’re a pain to clear out. But, Lizzo’s prompt really spoke to me:

 

This one asked about the five games that had the biggest impact on my life and I really had to stop and think about that for a moment. I’m not really what you’d call a “hardcore gamer”, most would consider me a casual gamer at best and I’ve even had some folks call my gamer status into question because I tend to favor story based visual novels and otome games over other genres. But, I do love video games and over the years there have been a few titles that have shaped who I am, games that to this day I still have fond memories of and love going back and playing again and again.

But, the Twitter prompt didn’t give us the chance expand on our choices, so I figured why not bang out a post and do just that…

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Otome Fans React to the Diabolik Lovers Anime

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Back in January I announced that I was working on a collaboration with a few otome fans I know, where we collectively review anime adaptations of otome games. It took a bit longer than I anticipated, but here is the very first Otome Fans React post! If you missed the announcement post, or are new here this new series is meant to be an ongoing monthly collaboration review that gives otome fans the chance to share their thoughts on otome game anime adaptations. Each month we will select an otome game anime adaptation to watch and review. Each participant will submit a short review about the anime series and each one will be compiled into one post here on Blerdy Otome with links to each contributor so you guys can check out their other great content. After talking among ourselves we all decided to cover Diabolik Lovers for our debut anime! If you have not yet had the pleasure of checking out this “delightful” series here’s a brief synopsis:

At the behest of her father, Yui Komori goes to live in a secluded mansion, home to the six Sakamaki brothers—Shuu, Reiji, Ayato, Kanato, Laito, and Subaru—a family of vampires. Though at first the siblings are confused as to why the girl has arrived, they soon realize that she is to be their new “sacrificial bride,” not to mention their other, more carnal intentions for her. After meeting the brothers, Yui quickly begins to question why her father would have sent her here and why she feels a strange, new pain in her chest. With each brother more sadistic than the last, Yui’s life as a captive takes a harrowing turn in her new home. As her days turn into endless nights, and each brother vows to make her his own, Yui falls deeper and deeper into madness and ecstasy.

–MAL Synopsis

Diabolik Lovers

Diabolik Lovers is a vampire romance otome game series developed by Japanese game developer Rejet. The series follows Yui Komori, a normal high school student who finds herself the unwitting house guest of a group of sadistic vampire brothers. The game series spans seven games, the most recent—Diabolik Lovers: Chaos Lineage—was released for Nintendo Switch in 2019. Diabolik Lovers has also been adapted into various other media including: manga, Drama CDs, fanbooks, and three successful stage plays. While the game series has never been officially localized for an English speaking audience, the series is immensely popular with Western otome fans thanks in part to the 12 episode anime series released in 2013.

The Diabolik Lovers anime is notoriously bad, even by otome game anime adaptation standards, but it was popular enough to warrant an OVA and a second series, Diabolik Lovers More, Blood. It’s super low budget and trashy… and the perfect pick for our first Otome Fans React! The roster for this post includes: Hazel from Archi-Anime, Ruby from Otomates Podcast , Pseudofaux from the Press X to Fall in Love Podcast, and my otome buddy, April.

Alright! Let’s delve into the “madness and ecstasy” of season 1 of the Diabolik Lovers anime!!

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A Little Tough Love: 5 Kuudere Otome Guys

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If you’re just joining the party, this is the fourth post in my Character Archetype series, where I spotlight five otome LIs from each of the major character archetypes. These posts are a complement to my Beginners Guide to Otome Games posts, particularly the one on Common Character Archetypes in Otome Games. There I give a very general rundown of the most common character archetypes that appear in otome games with a few examples of characters that fit each trope.

Last time around I covered one of the character archetypes that I’ve recently come to appreciate more, the super sweet, Genki characters. Which you can check out by clicking the link: ‘It’s All In a Smile: 5 Otome Game Genki Guys’. This time around I’m covering the cold-blooded kuudere character types, some of my absolute favorite otome love interests.

The Basics: What Are Kuudere?

Kuudere is a term derived from the terms “kuu” which comes from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word “cool” (クール), and “dere dere” (デレデレ), which means “lovey dovey”. These characters are usually cold or distant at first, but this is only a self-defense mechanism used to protect themselves from getting hurt. While they can be blunt and very direct in their manner of speaking they can be very caring and affectionate once you melt through their frosty exterior.

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Kuudere types are very similar to Tsundere and Dandere characters, as all three display cool or indifferent behavior towards others. However kuudere characters tend to remain rather cool and composed with brief moments of warmth, while tsundere characters constantly switch between personalities and a dandere character’s coolness stems mostly from their shyness.

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Melanin Friendly Games – ‘One Thousand and One Days’

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Hey Hey! I took an unexpected break this past weekend, I took a blogging break to enjoy my new Switch and do some adulting. I wanna get back into the swing of things with another Melanin Friendly Game pick. This time around I’m covering a game that I’ve covered before, but I don’t see many people talking about, which is a shame because it’s really quite impressive.

For today’s pick I’m covering Asif G.’s episodic Arabian Nights inspired fantasy visual novel, One Thousand and One Days. The game borrows heavily from ancient Persian mythology and Islamic lore AND features an all ethnic cast that draw inspiration from Middle Eastern, North African, and Mongolian cultures. Like Nusantara, this game focuses on a culture and region you don’t see explored very often in games—sure you get otome games that borrow the aesthetic of Arabian cultures, but you don’t see any one taking the time to really go in depth. One Thousand and One Days, does that and more while also weaving an intriguing fantasy adventure that will keep you captivated through each new chapter.

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Melanin Friendly Games – ‘PAIRS’

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Thanks to my mom I’m a casual Trekkie, and I have fond memories of watching a handful of episodes with her during marathons when I was younger. I’ve even gone on to watch through the original series on Netflix and Next Generation whenever I can catch a marathon. There is just something about exploring new worlds and interacting with alien life and learning about their cultures that I find fascinating. And Star Trek was one of the first sci-fi series (that I know of) to embrace diversity in a time where seeing folks from different racial and ethnic backgrounds just wasn’t a thing. Nichelle Nichols’s portrayal of Uhura on the original series was and still is one of the most culturally significant Black roles ever! Fast-forward today and it’s not uncommon to see a few characters of color woven in to most mainstream series. Just look at Star Trek: Discovery, Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham, the first Black female lead in Star Trek series—which is absolutely monumental!

So, when I came across the 2017 NaNoRenO title, PAIRS—a sci-fi romance that not only embraces diversity, but also had not one but TWO Black female leads… I knew I had add it to my game library. PAIRS follows two unique couples—Carmelita and Ricardo, two heroes in training and James, Kitten Pink (Noiya), a human baker and an alien warrior princess— in the midst of an ongoing alien war between Earth and the invading Naian people.

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Melanin Friendly Games – ‘Magical Warrior Diamond Heart’

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One of my first experiences with Japanese culture and anime came from watching Sailor Moon after school. Though the American dub of the series was HEAVILY edited, I was enamored with the series and tuned in every day to see Serena (yes, I know Usagi) and the rest of the Sailor Scouts kicking ass and protecting their city from evil… and Tuxedo Mask, he was like my first anime crush! I can STILL remember singing the opening theme at the top of my lungs much to the annoyance of my mom and brothers, but watching Sailor Moon sparked a love affair with anime and the magical girl genre that has lasted years…

I love me some Sailor Moon, but there weren’t exactly any Black sailor scouts (except for Pluto… I’m gonna go ahead and claim her for the culture), not that that stopped me from wanting to be a sailor scout. But, looking back, I would have loved to have seen someone that looked like me fighting along side the rest of the sailor scouts. So when I came across Xeregha Lopez’s magical girl yuri/otome visual novel, Magical Warrior Diamond Heart it set my little magical girl heart all a flutter!!

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Melanin Friendly Games – ‘Nusantara: Legend of the Winged Ones’

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It’s Black History Month, and while I’m a week late to the party, I wanted to do something special to celebrate and what better way to do that than to flood your timelines and readers with Melanin Friendly games?! Diversity in games has certainly gotten better over the years, and as a Black woman and a gamer, I really appreciate seeing more and more developers including narratives that focus on characters that look like me. I’ve written about representation in games before, focusing mostly on indie games and visual novels, since they tend to have more inclusive casts of characters and narratives. I wrote a post last year spotlighting a list of visual novels and otome games that featured Black and Brown characters in prominent roles and I want to kind of expand on that. Every day I’ll write mini reviews of games that I’ve found that have characters of color at the forefront.

First up is the fantasy romance visual novel, Nusantara – Legend of the Winged Ones from indie developer, Sweet Chiel. The game follows Tamara, a young woman who is transported from the present day into the past—a world of myths and legends. Embark on a journey into the unknown, as you are thrust into the ongoing conflict between the Sakma, a race of winged people and their enemies, the ruthless Komodo.

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Side Characters Shouldn’t Be This Cute – Non-Dateable Otome Guys I Wish Had A Route

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Otome games are filled with beautiful boys, it’s a part of that fantasy to romance your own personal harem of super mega hot guys… But, have you ever come across a really hot guy in an otome game only to discover that he isn’t one of the main love interests?! You know what I mean, that really really ridiculously good looking side character that makes you wanna renounce LI bae and run off into the sunset with this no-name Joe. It’s unfair to have a good looking side character, because no matter how much they make your heart flutter, he will forever just be a beautiful gem sparkling in the background.

Meanwhile elevated extras like Demento from Period Cube get half-assed excuses for routes, while a perfectly attractive and approachable side character is right there, just out of reach! So, that got me thinking… a dangerous pasttime… I know~ about some of my favorite unobtainable otome side characters. The boys that deserve so much more love, but alas, are just out of reach. Sometimes we’ll get lucky and they’ll get a route in one of the ports or fandiscs, like Finn from Steam Prison who didn’t have a route in the original PC release but got one in the Vita port or Sannan who was recently elevated from tragic antagonist/ally to bona fide love interest in Hakuoki Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms. 

But, for the purpose of this list, I’m just gonna stick to main games and not FDs, spin-offs, or sequels. And if any of these guys do have a route somewhere else, definitely let me know… cus, I need to see my boys in the spotlight for once!!

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Love Brings You Home – Arata Yuki Main Story Review

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With all the flashier titles in their catalog, Love Calls You Home is one of their underrated gems. It doesn’t come with all the gimmicks and angst of some of their more popular Otome Romance titles, so it’s pretty easy to overlook this unassuming slice-of-life romance. An overworked young woman finds herself in close quarters with a handsome and supportive guy, and while the circumstances for their cohabitation differ by route, the romance between the MC and her chosen love interest remains largely grounded in reality. The only “gimmick” is that a majority of the guys are secretly famous or have lucrative careers. I kind of got the impression that this was what Voltage was going for with their older title, Serendipity Next Door, which has a similar premise.

Currently, four out of the five love interests are available—Taiyo, Arata, Liam, and Hazuki. Because, I’m biased towards kuudere and tsundere, I picked Arata’s route as my first conquest of the game.

Also, because folks (myself included) are fussy about spoilers. Here’s your one and only spoiler warning. This review will have minor spoilers for Arata’s route and Love Brings You Home.

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It’s All In a Smile: 5 Otome Game Genki Guys

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These posts are a complement to my Beginners Guide to Otome Games posts, particularly the one on Common Character Archetypes in Otome Games. There I give a very general rundown of the most common character archetypes that appear in otome games with a few examples of characters that fit each trope. But, I kinda wanted to do individual posts on each archetype and now here we are with the second post in this series. Last time around I covered one of my favorite character archetype, the hot and cold, Tsundere. Which you can check out by clicking the link: ‘I Won’t Say I’m In Love: 5 Otome Game Tsundere’.

This time around I’m covering a character archetype that I initially didn’t really care all that much for, but has since become one of my new favs—the genki character archetype.

The Basics: What Are Genki Characters?

Genki (元気) means healthy/energetic in Japanese and these types of characters are a seeming well of good-natured playfulness and joy.  These lively, animated, and bombastic guys are always the life of the party, quick to laugh and ever optimistic. You’re bound to have a good time when you’re with a genki guy! Beneath their upbeat personality these characters tend to hide deep traumas and dark pasts, however these rarely affect their cheerful attitudes as they’d much rather look on the bright side of life. Also, most genki guys tend to have red hair to match their fiery personalities.

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This is where it always starts with genki characters

These types of guys are much more approachable than the other love interests and are usually the easiest for the Heroine to befriend. There’s a very thin line between friendship and romance in routes/stories featuring genki characters, since they tend to be friendly with everyone. Genki characters can be prone to pulling practical jokes and are often the token jokesters of the group (or the butt of jokes) and have been known to rope the Heroine into their hijinks.

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I Finally Finished My First Route in Code Realize ~ Guardians of Rebirth~

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I’ve been playing Code Realize ~ Guardians of Rebirth ~ off and on for the past five or so years and despite the overwhelming love for the game I could just never seem to make much headway with it. So in 2019 I made a bit of an unofficial resolution to finish at least one route before the end of the year and at long last I was able to complete my playthrough of Impey’s route! Took me five long years, but I can finally say I’ve at the very least played Code Realize and I’m not gonna lie, I have some mixed feelings about it. This won’t be so much a review as some thoughts I’ve had about the game over the years—and after five years I’ve amassed quite a few.

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Code Realize was one of the first major otome game releases to make its way stateside. Developed by Otomate for the PS Vita in 2014, Code Realize is a steampunk fantasy, featuring a cast of characters based on famous literary and historical figures. The game follows Cardia—a young woman whose body produces a deadly poison that melts anything she touches—spends her days in an abandoned mansion to protect others from her affliction. Labeled as a monster by the locals, Cardia resigns herself to a life of loneliness until Royal Guards break into the mansion and attempt to capture her. She is saved by infamous gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, who promises to help her find her father, the only person who might be able to remove the poison coursing through her veins.

Game Details

  • Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Action, Romance
  • Available for PS Vita | Nintendo Switch (Feb 2020)
  • Full Voiced
  • Gameplay Lengh: 30-35 hours
  • Cost: $39.99
  • 5 male romance options
  • Similar Games: Steam Prison, London Detective Mysteria

Spoiler Warning

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My 10 Otome Games of the Decade

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The end of 2019 marks the end of a decade, and everyone seems to be reflecting on the past 10 years, with their various lists and videos. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon too and reflect on the past 10 years in otome games. Since I didn’t keep up with my Japanese language studies, I’m limited to English localizations (and fan patches), so I can’t speak for the JP only releases. But, I can honestly say that these last few years have been pretty good to Western otome fans, with tons of game releases and announcements coming out (fairly) regularly.

So, I wanted to go back and look at the otome games released between 2010 and 2019 and pick out my favorites. Some years were more fruitful than others for the western otome fandom, but I still stand by my picks for each year and it’s kind of fun to see how my tastes have changed in the past 10 or so years of playing otome games.

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I Won’t Say I’m In Love: 5 Otome Game Tsundere

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So, this is totally going to be a regular thing… I suppose these posts are a complement to my Beginners Guide to Otome Games posts, particularly the one on Common Character Archetypes in Otome Games. There I give a very general rundown of the most common character archetypes that appear in otome games with a few examples of characters that fit each trope. But, I kinda wanted to do individual posts on each archetype and now here we are with the second post in this series. Last time around I covered my least favorite character archetype, the obsessive and possessive, Yandere. Which you can check out by clicking the link: ‘Crazy for You?: 5 Otome Game Yandere’.

This time around I wanted to shake things up and cover one of my favorite character archetypes, the delightfully hot and cold tsundere characters!!

The Basics: What is Tsundere?

Tsundere is a term derived from the terms tsun tsun (ツンツン), meaning to turn away in disgust, and dere dere (デレデレ) meaning to become ‘lovey dovey’. These characters tend to be cold and hostile towards the heroine at first, but gradually warms up to her, becoming much more affectionate as time passes. Tsundere characters are known to switch between their hot and cold personalities at the drop of a dime, most notably when embarrassed. However, when the heroine is able break down their walls, most tsunderes are sweethearts.

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A shy tsunbun after admitting his feelings

Part of the appeal of tsundere characters is slowly getting them to let their guard down and open up to the heroine. They are very similar to kuudere types, in that they can be a bit cold and aloof at first, and can come off as callous. Sometimes a tsundere will go too far and accidentally hurt their heroine’s feelings. However, when they realize how much their actions are hurting those around them, they are usually quick to apologize (even if their attempts are a bit clumsy/awkward). Most tsundere are inexperienced with love and have trouble fully expressing their newfound complicated emotions, which leads them to give off mixed messages. But when a tsundere does fall in love, they are very devoted to their heroine.

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Crazy For You: 5 Otome Game Yandere

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A few months back I wrote a Beginners Guide to Otome Games post on character archetypes (here’s a link to the thing: A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 3 – Common Character Archetypes), where I broke down some of the most common character archetypes in otome games. I gave a basic overview of each archetype and provided a few examples of characters from games that fit the trope, but I always wanted to go back and write a list spotlighting characters from the various archetypes. First up to bat are the yandere chararacters… yay?

The Basics: What is Yandere?

Yandere is a Japanese term used to describe a person who is initially very loving and gentle towards the person they love, only for their affection to suddenly become obssessive and destructive. Their behavior becomes unhinged, bordering on deranged leading to these characters becoming violent and possessive. The term yandere is derived from the Japanese words yanderu (病んでる), meaning insane or sick, and dere dere (デレデレ), meaning affectionate or loving; so a yandere character is someone that is literally “lovesick”.

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Note a yandere in action, notice how he maintains eye contact at all times

These characters are a bit controversial due to their dangerously obsessive behaviors, which lead to them harming themselves and others in pursuit of love. While their actions stem from an overwhelming sense of love and devotion, these characters are prone to jealousy and will do everything in their power to ensure that nothing comes between them and their love. Yandere can be very forceful in their affections and may resort to entrapping the object of their affection in a misguided attempt to protect them. Some yandere have been known to lock their lovers in cages and in extreme cases may be mentally or physically abusive.

Yandere are pretty popular in otome games, and there’s usually at least one character in each game that exhibits some obsessive tendencies (though this is usually reserved for bad endings). But, if yandere are your shtick, here’s a list of some yandere characters that would be more than happy to show you to your own personal uguu love cage…

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Taisho x Alice Rises from the Ashes with NEW Steam Release!!

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Most of you probably already heard the news, but Taisho x Alice is getting a NEW Steam realease!!

We all remember the E2 Gaming Tragedy of 2017 that produced the delightfully terrible English language release of Primula’s Taisho x Alice. There were a lot of signs that the initial E2 Gaming English release was going to be a shits how, as the “company” had been very lax with marketing and responding to fans on social media. However, even that couldn’t prepare us for the actual release, which was marred by it’s dismal translation and laughable voice acting! Many were outraged by this seeming disregard for quality, and the game became something of a meme, with otome fans adding “Hirigana” and “Katakana” to their twitter handles in mocking tribute to the game’s most memorable translation choices.

*Check out a more detailed account of the 2017 Taisho x Alice Localization over at Figuratively Speaking

But, it seems that 2019 has brought Taisho x Alice back for a second go of things, this time the localization is being handled by Primula’s parent company, Pencil and from what I’ve seen of the Steam page and Twitter, this appears to be a legitimate release. Taisho x Alice has a Steam release date set for November 28, 2019.  The game will feature full Japanese voice acting, and subtitles in Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese.

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It’s Okay Because “Romance” – Otome Games With Questionable Storylines

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Otome games offer women (and men) a fantasy romance experience of their dreams, but sometimes they stretch the limits of “fantasy” and delve into some questionable territory. These games play around with your suspension of disbelief, dropping you head first into scenarios that most of us would find downright frustrating if they happened to us in real life. From lowkey abusive love interests and dubious consent, otome games are known to toe the line between what is acceptable and what isn’t.

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There have been times while playing an otome game where I had to step outside myself and check my self respect at the door in order to achieve my happily ever after with my chosen love interest. Of course, that isn’t the case with all otome games, there are some perfectly lovely ones that don’t force players to wave a hand at less than savory story elements. However, there are still quite a few that’ll raise a few eyebrows… So, that got me thinking about some of the more ridiculous otome game storylines and premises. The ones that really made me go, WTF.

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Reanimation Scheme Demo Review – Summon Up Some Romance

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I’m super late with this review, but I wanted to make sure I gave Wind Chimes Games’s demo for their debut visual novel, Reanimation Scheme, my full and undivided attention. I wanted to have this out before the end of the Kickstarter campaign, and I just managed to make it with a few hours to spare.

Reanimation Scheme is a supernatural fantasy romance visual novel, that is rooted in magic, mysticism, and necromancy. Yes, you read that right, necromancy… most of the supernatural games I’ve played tend to shy away from death magic, preferring to focus on the big three of the supernatural world; Vampires, Werewolves, and Witches. But, I’ve had my fill of the same old fantasy stories, so Reanimation Scheme is a welcome change of pace. With it’s spunky heroine, inventive premise, and gorgeous visuals, Reanimation Scheme is definitely worth checking out! Keep Reading to see my thoughts on the demo, which covers three chapters of the game.

Demo Details

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[OWLS “Fantasy” Blog Tour] Otome Games: Choose Your Fantasy

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It’s time for another OWLS Blog Tour, most of you were directed here after reading Takuto’s lovely post about Sword Art Online Alicization and if you haven’t read his post I definitely recommend giving it a read!! If you stumbled upon this post by chance, welcome to Blerdy Otome! The end of the year is fast approaching and we’ve hit our 10th Blog Tour of 2019. For those of you just joining the party, OWLS is a group of bloggers and vloggers that hope to spread a message of acceptance and understanding through thoughtful community activism! We use our love of pop-culture and other media to discuss a wide range of topics. Each month we host themed Blog Tours where we discuss topics we feel are important to the greater fandom community.

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For the month of October our topic is “Fantasy” I decided to discuss otome games (again) and how they portray romance. The appeal of otome games comes not from depicting realistic romance, but from the fantasy of what we wish romance could be.

In the month of October, we will be exploring the world of fantasy in pop culture. The genre of fantasy focuses on telling stories about our external and internal environments. There are many ways we can interpret the word fantasy. For example, we can talk about how a fantastical place could glorify what reality should be, or the dangers of ideal expectations. Fantasy could also be seen as taking a “wild journey” or a “hallucination,” and how that can affect our psyche and well-being. Additionally, fantasy can focus on our personal dreams and expectations, and how those expectations do not align with our reality. Overall, our posts will reflect on how we view the fantasy genre and what we can learn about these pop culture mediums.

– October 2019 Blog Tour Prompt

I’ll reference a few otome games in this post, but there shouldn’t be any spoilers since I intend to focus primarily on the concept of otome games rather than a rundown of a specific title.

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #34

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!
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This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

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Five Totally Out There Dating Sims You Have to See to Believe

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In the wake of KFC’s I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator announcement the internet is abuzz with delight at the prospect of dating the fast food chain’s chicken loving mascot. The concept is the brain child of UK based studio Psyop, and promises a unique gaming experience full of cooking battles, delicious finger lickin’ chicken recipes, and of course the chance to romance the Colonel himself.

While most of the internet is eagerly awaiting the latest parody dating sim, some in the otome community are worried the upcoming game will do more harm than good to an already niche genre. I’m always down for a good laugh, so I’ll probably check I Love You, Colonel Sanders! out when it’s released on September 24th on Steam.

However, this isn’t the first dating sim parody game (and it most likely won’t be the last). There are quite a few dating sims out there that are sure to have a few people scratching their heads, so of course I did what any sane person would do and compiled a few of them into a list… Your welcome.

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #33

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!
pennies gif.gif

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! I’ve kind of been on a detective kick, so all of this week’s picks are along those lines… Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #32

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!
pennies gif.gif

 

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #32”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #31

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!
pennies gif.gif

 

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #31”

5 Games Like Collar x Malice

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I know it’s been a while since the last 5 Games Like… post, but I wanted to get through Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly and Collar x Malice just in case one of them won the poll. And wouldn’t you know it, Collar x Malice swept the Twitter poll! Thanks to everyone that participated and for those of you that missed out, check out my twitter for the next poll.

 

The last time I wrote a list of 5 Otome Games Like Steam Prison and this week I’m bringing you guys a list of 5 otome games like Collar x Malice. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, Collar x Malice is a detective mystery otome game that was published in Japan by Idea Factory under their Otomate brand of games in 2016. The following year in 2017, Aksys Games released an English language localization of the game for the PS Vita. Collar x Malice follows a rookie police officer who is unwittingly drawn into a series of gruesome crimes when she is kidnapped and collared by the terrorist organization, Adonis. It’s a race against the clock and failure isn’t an option, with her life on the line and the fate of the city hanging in the balance, Ichika must team up with a group five strangers, some of which are former police officers, in order to uncover the truth behind the X-Day Incidents and Adonis.

Unlike most otome games that focus more on romance, Collar x Malice offers a more story driven narrative that’s more in line with a suspense thriller or an investigative adventure game. This is my favorite otome localization so far, and you can bet I’ll be getting Collar x Malice: Unlimited when it comes out next year. But, in the meantime if you’re like me and you’re looking for games similar to Collar x Malice, here are five game titles that are sure to hit the spot! I tried to go with games that have the same feel as Collar x Malice and not so much a play by play clone of the game. So, they’re not exactly the same, but, they definitely capture the spirit of the game.

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Episodic Otome Games and Visual Novels You Totally Should Be Playing

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Happy Monday!! What better way to kick of the week than with some game recommendations?!

Despite my aversion to cliffhangers and my love/hate relationship with ongoing series, I’ve really been getting into episodic games lately… There really is something to be said for playing a game at your leisure, with new episodes released every few weeks (or months). It gives you something to do between game releases or while your procrastinating on a project without losing hours of your life… It’s like a gaming snack rather than a whole meal and with my crazy schedule, episodic games offer the perfect fix for when I’m craving some gaming time, without the a long gameplay commitment.

So, I compiled a list of some of my favorite episodic games, from life sims, to puzzle games, to visual novels, and more! These are the 8 episodic otome games and visual novels you should totally be playing!!

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The Best Otome Games to Play in English

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I’ve been hesitant to write a best otome games list, since they tend to get outdated fairly easily, and with the influx in new otome releases in the west the chances of that happening are pretty high. At Anime Expo 2019, Aksys Games announced quite a few otome game releases between now and 2020, and that’s just one company. Not to mention all the mobile game releases we get each month (sometimes weekly)… But, even with that said there are some game titles that are universally liked by members of the otome community and those that most agree suck.

I tend to be a bit behind the rest of the otome community, since I take my sweet time getting around to playing new game titles, but I’ve been making good progress and I wanted to go ahead and throw in my two cents. So, I broke down and compiled a list of what I consider to be the best otome games available in English…

This is solely for English localizations of Japanese otome games, so there won’t be any OELVNs or English Otome Games on this list. If you guys want that list, I might do one later on down the line (though, it’ll be hard to narrow down that particular list).

So, without further ado, here’s my list of the best otome games available in English… to date!

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #30

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #30”

Wanna Chat With Other Otome Fans? Here Are Some Places You Should Check Out

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This post is in response to a lot of things, but recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of otome fans lamenting that they don’t have people IRL that they can talk to about their hobbies. Which I can kind of relate to. I have friends that are into Japanese culture, anime, manga, comics, and other nerdy media, but none of them seem to be interested in otome games. Sure, I’ve convinced one or two to play a game on my laptop when we’ve hung out, but they don’t really play them on their own. And my bestie, bless her has sat by and listened to countless hours of my rampant fangirling about my newest otome crush.

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But, aside from that, I don’t really have any IRL otome friends. In fact, I’ve met all of my really good otome buddies online, but with that said most of my online friends are more into anime than they are otome games (though, I have managed to convert a few). So, it got me thinking, where exactly do all the cool otome fans hang out? I mean, we are living in a “social media” age, so there are plenty of ways to connect with people that have similar interests as you. But, it can be a bit intimidating when you first start out, especially since most communities are fairly well established. So, I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of places I lurk check out when I want to chat it up with my fellow otome fans online…

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #29

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #29”

Melanin Friendly Otome Games & Visual Novels

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I’ve written about the importance of representation in media quite a few times in the past, I even have a post series dedicated to talking about inclusion and diversity in nerd culture. Most recently, I wrote a post about diversity (or the lack there of) in otome games and after penning the post an indie developer friend of mine reached out to me about the topic. We had an awesome discussion about the depiction of people of color in visual novels and the importance of wholesome representation. She even gave me some insight into the difficulties some content creators have when crafting characters of color in their games, a perspective I hadn’t considered. I’ve seen quite a few polls and surveys floating around about the content of western otome games and visual novels, many of which have sections dedicated to gauging player interests in diverse characters.

I love that there is an open dialogue about diversity in games, especially in romance themed games since there is a noticeable disparity in the number of otome games that feature black and brown characters in major roles. However, I’ve heard through the grapevine that there are a handful of developers that have been saying that they don’t include darker skinned characters in their games because they “look bad” or aren’t as attractive as non black and brown characters. Some people have stated that it’s harder to create characters with darker complexions using the anime art style common in otome games… and hearing that is really heartbreaking. On some level, I feel like this is just a carryover of colorism, and the notion that dark skinned individuals are not as attractive as lighter skinned individuals (which is not the case at all). But, on other levels, it’s less an issue with darker characters looking bad and more a case of an artist needing more experience depicting characters of color.

There is a demand for more diverse games, heck, this past weekend someone used the search term ‘otome games black girl friendly’ to get to my site and I’m gonna be honest with you guys, it made my whole weekend! As more people start playing otome games (and romance visual novels) the demand for more inclusive characters and narratives will only rise and those who stay stuck in their ways are really limiting themselves. So, for the person that searched for black girl friendly otome games and for the folks that think “darker characters look bad” here are a few Melanin Friendly Otome Games and Visual Novels!!

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #28

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #28”

A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 3 – Common Character Archetypes

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, its been a while since the last ‘A Beginners Guide to Otome Games’ post. I’ve been slowly working on bringing this blog back where it was before I took a break, so expect more of my post segments to start cropping back up… eventually. Since its been so long since the last post, I figured this is as good a time as any to explain what these posts are…

A Beginners Guide to Otome Games post series is a crash course on all things otome games, but in a way that’s easy to understand for newbies and folks unfamiliar with the genre. When I started playing otome games I pretty much just spent most of my time figuring things out as I went along and even then I had a lot of questions. So, I wanted to create a series of posts that answers some of the basic otome question to kind of give you guys a feel for different aspects of otome games. This series is for you guys, so at the end of each A Beginners Guide post I’ll have a poll where you, the reader, can vote on the next topic I cover! Last post, you guys voted and I listened, so for Part 3, I’m going to cover  Common Character Archetypes!

*Also, if there is something in this post that you think should be expanded or needs more clarification, please let me know and I will update this post accordingly!

Continue reading “A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 3 – Common Character Archetypes”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #27

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Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs!! It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #27”

Otome Games I Wish Had an Anime Adaptation

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On the heels of the Collar X Malice Unlimited fandisk announcement, Idea Factory and Otomate revealed through their twitter account that Collar X Malice is also getting an anime adaptation in the near future. This is not the first otome game to get an anime adaptation, with Hakuoki, Amnesia Memories, OZMAFIA, and Code Realize to name a few all getting the anime treatment.

For those of you not familiar with Collar X Malice, it’s a mystery, suspense, thriller otome game originally developed by Idea Factory under their Otomate brand in 2016 for PS Vita. The game was later localized by Aksys Games in 2017 for an English language release. The game follows Ichika Hoshino a young police officer in Shinjuku, Tokyo after she becomes the unwitting victim of a mysterious terrorist organization that have been terrorizing the city with several large scale attacks. Ichika is captured by the organization and fitted with a collar set to dispense poison into her neck unless she uncovers the truth behind the attacks. With her life on the line and the fate of the city hanging in the balance, Ichika is approached by five mysterious strangers who offer to help her get to the bottom of the crimes and hopefully save the people of Shinjuku and herself in the process.

The premise alone has everything you need for a great story; action, suspense, mystery, romance… I can’t wait to see what the anime has in store for us (and I sincerely hope they do the story justice). But, that got me thinking, what other otome games would I like to see get an anime adaptation? I mean, really, everyone assumes that otome games are just a lot of romance and that’s it. But, the truth is, otome games have some of the best stories that cover a wide range of subjects and genres that would make for amazing anime series. So, I wracked my brain a bit and came up with a list of otome games I think really deserve to have an anime adaptation.

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A World With(out) You – Saku Fukazawa Main Story Review

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So, Voltage Inc aka Otome Romance (or whatever they’re calling themselves this week) released a brand new title on their Love 365 portal app, a supernatural fantasy slice of life game titled, A World With(out) You. In the game you play a young woman whose boyfriend dies unexpectedly leaving you to face the world without him, but, your love is so strong that he comes back as a ghost to help you find happiness without him… *cue the Korean pop ballads* Cus this sounds like something straight out of a Korean drama.

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But, I was intrigued, a romance game where the love interest is already dead at the start of the game can either go one of two ways: Either he stays dead and the MC finds love with someone else OR the power of love brings dude back to life, at least that’s how it works in Korean dramas.

Love Choice: A Cliffnotes Crash Course 

Unlike their usual paid format, A World With(out) You is one of their Love Choice stories, so you can read the entire story for free. But, you need hearts, which can be purchased through microtransactions, to unlock premium choices and endings, also there is a 5 hour delay between chapters, which is annoying as fuck. I’m not a big fan of the move to Love Choice stories, because I’m not a fan of freemium games. But, during the initial release of Love Choice routes, Voltage gets rid of the 5 hour wait time and you can unlock new chapters immediately. Which is the main reason I even picked up the game in the first place, until 5/27 Saku Fukazawa’s Main Story is available without the 5 hour delay!! Yay!

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Love Choice premium choices

So I’ve played through a few chapters of his route and I have some thoughts that’d like to get out… Usually I edit my reviews, but, this time I kind of like how my notes sound so other than some minor edits for structure, here are my unfiltered thoughts on A World With(out) You and Saku Fukuzawa’s route so far… I’m going to take my time with this one because, hearts cost money and I did the math, it would cost me like $20 bucks to finish it in one go and I’m not about that life.

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5 Otome Games Like London Detective Mysteria

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I ran a poll over on Twitter asking for help choosing a game for a post and SURPRISE, this is it! You guys got to choose between two game titles, Bad Apple Wars and London Detective Mysteria and 60% of you guys picked the latter. Thanks to everyone who participated!!

Last week I wrote a list of 5 Otome Games Like Hakuoki and this week I’m bringing you guys a list of 5 games like London Detective Mysteria. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, London Detective Mysteria is a Victorian-era otome game developed by Karin Entertainment and the first localized otome game title from XSeed. Originally published as Eikoku Tantei Mysteria: The Crown, London Detective Mysteria follows Lady Emily Whiteley, heir to House Whiteley, upon her debut into high society, she receives a letter from the Queen of England inviting her to attend a famous detective finishing school, Harrington Academy. Explore London and investigate a series of mysteries, while interacting with characters inspired by famous historical and fictional figures, like, famed detective Sherlock Holmes, infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper, master thief Jean Lupin and more…

So, if you’ve finished London Detective Mysteria and are looking for something to satisfy your inner super sleuth, I have five games just for you. Each of these games captures a little bit of the magic of London Detective Mysteria whether you’re solving cases or romancing hot ikemen versions of historical figures, these titles are a must play.

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Changeling Review – An Imaginative Supernatural Romance VN

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Newbie developer Steamberry Studios delivers a magical adventure in their debut supernatural fantasy visual novel, Changeling. The game follows Nora, a high school senior who finds herself drawn into the world of the paranormal after moving back to her childhood hometown of Pine Hollow. A community of Cryptics (supernatural beings) operates in the shadows of Pine Hollow, each with their own secrets… After experiencing a number of strange occurrences, Nora discovers that she is also a Cryptic and the revelation sends her world into a tailspin. But, unlike her friends and fellow member of the Supernatural Club, her supernatural origins might be darker than anyone could have anticipated. With danger around every corner, Nora must rely on one of six guys, to uncover the secrets of her past while also helping them deal with their own supernatural issues.

I’ve been following Changeling‘s production for a very long time now, from the kickstarter campaign to tumblr dev updates to the beta testing and I’ve talked with the devs at length about the game on a number of occasions. So, I suppose you could say I am really invested in this game.

Game Details

Continue reading “Changeling Review – An Imaginative Supernatural Romance VN”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #26

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #26”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #25

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #25”

[Melanin Monday] Diversity in Otome Games

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and NPCs, out there it’s Monday, and that means another Melanin Monday post!! I know its been awhile since my last Melanin Monday post (I’ve been slacking off), but, for those of you just joining the party, here’s a little refresher. Melanin Monday is a bi-weekly post series that I started for Black History Month, where I talk about Black and Brown skinned characters in anime, manga, video games, etc., but you guys loved it so much I decided to continue it! This week, I’m looking at diversity in otome games!

Otome games promise a player driven gaming experience, giving players the opportunity to romance a diverse group of characters. But, really how diverse are otome games? Sure they feature characters from a wide range of character archetypes, but when it comes to their appearance, they all seem to fall into the same generic bishounen category. What’s more, mainstream otome games tend to have a distinct lack of racial diversity among their romance options. Western otome games have been more successful at integrating more diverse romance options in their games, with characters from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicity, but, Japanese otome games are much more restrictive in the types of romance options they offer. But, given that otome games are created with a Japanese audience in mind, this is not wholly unexpected.

However, with an increasing number of Western gamers playing otome games, this lack of diversity could alienate individuals looking for games featuring characters that share similar characteristics to themselves. In recent years, Western otome games and Original English Language Visual Novels (OELVNs) have stepped up to provide a solution by offering games with more diverse romance options that are more reflective of their target audiences. As a woman of color, I appreciate the efforts of Western developers to incorporate diverse characters into their narratives, because it creates an opportunity for representation that may have otherwise not existed.

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Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #24

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #24”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #23

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s been awhile, since the last  post (I’ll do better) But,It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #23”

A Sex Positive Fling with a Demon – Cute Demon Crashers Review

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Cute Demon Crashers is a short 18+ sex positive visual novel from English game developers Sugar Script. The game was originally developed back in 2015 for the annual game jam, NaNoRenO, however due to time constraints Sugar Script was only able to complete two character routes (Mirari and Akki) by the time limit. But, the initial release was such a success that fans raised funds to assist Sugar Script with completing the game. Cute Demon Crashers features four romance interests (3 male, 1 female) and while the game does deal with sexual situations, players can choose to filter the “naughty bits” through censored gameplay. In addition to the filter, players can also choose to turn down any and all sexual situations without their choices having any effect on the progression of the story. The main purpose of the game is to promote a safe and open space for players to explore sex without feeling pressured.

Cute Demon Crashers 6.png

If four sex demons offered their services to you, how would you react?

Game Basics

  • Available for Windows, Linux, and Mac
  • 4 Potential love interest (11 Endings)
  • Censored and Uncensored 
  • Partial Voice Acting
  • Cost: FREE

*There will be one NSFW image in this review and it is censored, but you know, warnings…*

Continue reading “A Sex Positive Fling with a Demon – Cute Demon Crashers Review”

Let’s Show Our Support for Reimei no Gakuen!!

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Hey hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, I’m back with yet another exciting Kickstarter campaign for an upcoming modern fantasy romance otome game, Reimei no Gakuen that I think you guys should definitely check out! It’s still pretty early on in the campaign, but, they are almost at their goal!

For those of you new, here, Let’s Show Our Support posts highlight current crowdfunding campaigns for indie games (usually VNs and OELVNs). I give you guys the basic rundown of the game and the perks of supporting the game’s campaign, as well as links to all the relevant game related pages and sites.

This is Raikon Kitsune’s first ever game, and I must say I am impressed with the quality of her content. She really knows how to make an entrance in what promises to be a very intriguing modern fantasy!

Continue reading “Let’s Show Our Support for Reimei no Gakuen!!”

Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August Demo Review

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Afterthought Studios the folks behind the supernatural romance, Purfectly Ever After and the fantasy visual novel, When Our Journey Ends have decided to put their hat into the otome ring with the announcement of their new otome focused subsidiary, Lunaniere. The first title in their new otome line is a supernatural fantasy currently on Kickstarter (they’ve already exceed their goal), Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August. An ambitious undertaking to say the least, Lunaniere has teamed up with game production company Sekai Project to bring their vision to life.

Recently, I sat down and gave the demo for Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August, a try and while I am impressed with the execution, I couldn’t help but feel like, Lunaniere is playing it safe with their debut title. Wishes in Pen is a fantasy historical romance otome in which a 20-something young woman is magically transported back in time to 1860’s Japan at the end of the Tokogawa Shogunate, following our heroine as she navigates her way through political and social unrest as the legendary Boshin War unfolds. This isn’t a new concept, not by a long shot, historical Japan has been the subject of many otome games, from mobile games like Voltage Inc.’s Sakura Amidst the Chaos and NTT Solmare’s Sengoku Darling, not to mention Two-Five’s Yo Jin Bo and Idea Factory’s Hakuoki franchise. Historical romance otome games are a dime a dozen and guaranteed some success, especially given the popularity of the Hakuoki series in the West.

Demo Basics

  • Available for Windows, Linux, Mac, and Android
  • Five Potential Love Interests
  • Demo Length: 30 mins- 1 hour (Prologue)

Continue reading “Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August Demo Review”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #22

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s been awhile, but…. *drumroll* It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #22”

Let’s Show Our Support for Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August!!

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Hey hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s been a LOOOOONG time since I wrote one of these (bear with me while I get back into the swing of things), but there’s a Kickstarter campaign for an upcoming historical romance otome game, Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August that I think you guys should definitely check out! There are less than 10 days left in the campaign and they are almost at their goal!

For those of you new, here, Let’s Show Our Support posts highlight current crowdfunding campaigns for indie games (usually VNs and OELVNs). I give you guys the basic rundown of the game and the perks of supporting the game’s campaign, as well as links to all the relevant game related pages and sites.

I am a sucker for historical media, so when I saw this campaign I was over the moon! The game appears to be in the same vein as other historical themed otome games, such as Two-Five’s Yo Jin Bo and Idea Factory’s Hakuoki franchise.

Continue reading “Let’s Show Our Support for Wishes in Pen: Chrysanthemums in August!!”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #21

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s been awhile, but…. *drumroll* It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming post, the weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #21”

A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 2 – Types of Otome Games

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s been a while since the last Beginners Guide post, life kind of got in the way of my blogging for a bit, but, I’m going to make an effort to revive this blog if it’s the last thing I do! *ahem*

This is the second A Beginners Guide to Otome Games post, if you’re a newbie to the Otome Games fandom, I highly suggest taking a look at the first post, What Are Otome Games?! for a general overview of Otome Games, from common terminology to gameplay. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between an ‘otome game’ and an ‘otoge’ was (hint, they’re the same thing) or don’t know the difference between CGs and sprites, this is the post series for you!!

In these posts, I’ll give you guys a crash course on all things otome games, but, in a way that is easy to understand for folks unfamiliar with the genre. So, if you’ve been curious about otome games, but didn’t know where to start or who to ask, this is the place for you! This series is for you guys, so at the end of each Beginners Guide post I’ll have a poll where you, the reader, can vote on the next topic I cover! Last post, you guys voted and I listened, so for Part 2, I’m going to cover  Types of Otome Games!

*Also, if there is something in this post that you think should be expanded or needs more clarification, please let me know and I will update this post accordingly!

Continue reading “A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 2 – Types of Otome Games”

[International Women’s Day 2018] My Top 5 Otome Heroines!!

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s International Women’s Day! The one day out of the year when we celebrate the achievements of women throughout history… and if you ask me we should be celebrating women every day of the year and not just on March 8th, because we women are out here slaying the game everyday… all day, but, I digress. I could not let this day pass without doing something to celebrate here on Nice Job Breaking It, Hero (busy schedule be damned)!

IWD-logo.png

So, to celebrate, I’m bringing you guys a list of my top five otome game heroines! Yeah, don’t let the lack of reviews fool you, I am still pretty deep in the Otome Games fandom, and I’ve noticed that otome heroines get a lot of flack from the community as a whole. In fact, we’re often quick to make excuses for a “terrible” love interest, who treats the MC like crap, but when we get an MC with “no backbone” we immediately write her off as an affront to feminist ideals and a step backwards for all woman kind… I, myself am guilty of bashing heroines every now and again… but, seriously otome heroines get a tough break, so in order to rectify that I’m spotlighting five phenomenal otome heroines that hold it down in their respective games. It’s hard work dealing with your own personal harem, and these ladies go above and beyond the call of duty.

Continue reading “[International Women’s Day 2018] My Top 5 Otome Heroines!!”

Otome Debates: Localization

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, as promised, here’s the first official Otome Debates post! Going into 2018 I wanted to branch out a bit from just otome game reviews, by adding some editorial styled otome games related content. The idea is to produce informative content about otome games that both fans and non-fans of the genre can enjoy. So what should you expect from this and other Otome Debates posts?

This is a brand spankin’ new bi-weekly (Tuesdays) post series where I talk about a few of the “controversial” topics floating around the online otome community. I’ll be covering a wide range of topics within the scope of otome games and their connected media. You don’t necessarily have to be familiar with otome games or the online otome games community to enjoy these posts, since they will mostly offer a general overview of the topic with points from both sides.

–Otome Debates: Introduction 

This week’s topic is one that has caused a lot of buzz in the online otome community. It’s a topic that has been at the center of some of the most heated Twitter battles… a topic that has divided the community for years… I wish I was joking, it seems like every time an English language version of an otome game is released in the West, the online otome games community implodes. Friend turn on friends, members of the #OtomeArmada immediately scramble to opposing sides and the rampant passive aggressive tweets begin to fly… But, what is “localization” and is it really worth all the fuss?

Continue reading “Otome Debates: Localization”

A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 1 “What Are Otome Games?!”

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, I’m bringing you guys a super special awesome new post series that was requested by my blogging buddy, the lovely Lita. I’d been playing around with the idea for an ‘otome games for dummies’ series for awhile now, but, I never really knew where to start or what all to cover, until Lita commented on my Otome Debates intro post asking for a post introducing otome games in general. So, I ran with it, but since I don’t do things by half measures, I decided to make this a full blown post series!

In these posts, I’ll give you guys a crash course on all things otome games, but, in a way that is easy to understand for folks unfamiliar with the genre. So, if you’ve been curious about otome games, but didn’t know where to start or who to ask, this is the place for you!

*Also, if there is something in this post that you think should be expanded or needs more clarification, please let me know and I will update this post accordingly!

Right, so now that all the formalities are out of the way, lets get down to the basics of Otome Games! This week’s topic is…. What Are Otome Games?!

*Edit 5/8/18: Added some examples of otome games.

Continue reading “A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 1 “What Are Otome Games?!””

Otome Debates: Introduction

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, welcome to the introductory post of the new Otome Debates series! *throws confetti* Technically, this series won’t start until next Tuesday, but before I spring it on you guys I wanted to go over what to expect from the series when it kicks off next week.

What The Series is About…

This is a brand spankin’ new bi-weekly (Tuesdays) post series where I talk about a few of the “controversial” topics floating around the online otome community. I’ll be covering a wide range of topics within the scope of otome games and their connected media. You don’t necessarily have to be familiar with otome games or the online otome games community to enjoy these posts, since they will mostly offer a general overview of the topic with points from both sides.

The Format…

The basic format will be as follows:

  • Introduction: Brief overview of the topic and an introduction to the various viewpoints people in the otome community have about said topic.
  • Viewpoint Breakdown: This will make up the bulk of the post (roughly 2-4 paragraphs) and focus on fleshing out the opposing viewpoints of the topic. I’ll highlight the main points of each opposing viewpoint, while offering examples to support or refute each argument. I will try to remain as impartial as possible in this section in order to give readers a better understanding of the subject matter without my ickle feelings getting in the way.
  • My Personal Opinion: Like it says, I’ll offer up my opinion on the topic and where I stand on the issues presented in the Viewpoint (name to be changed) section. I’ll try to keep this short, but if I feel strongly about the topic, it might be longer…
  • Conclusion/Wrap Up: A summary of the points presented in the post followed by a poll, so that you guys can weigh in on which side of the debate you stand on (anonymously). You can also share your opinions in the comments section and/or ask for clarification on a point brought up in the post.

Like I said, I won’t be unrolling this bad boy until next week Tuesday, so be on the lookout for that. As a show of good faith, I’ll reveal the topic for the inaugural post… *drumroll* Otome Game Localizations! Yeah, people have strong feelings about localization, so I figured it’d be the perfect way to kick off the new year!!

What do you think of the new post series? Think it’s a good idea? Do you have a topic suggestion? Wanna chat? Drop a line in the comments section (I promise, I don’t bite…much). As always THANK YOU FOR READING!! 

[Otome Game Review] How To Fool A Liar King

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Hey Hey Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s been awhile since my last game review, I just haven’t been in the gaming mood lately. But, I recently took time out of my crocheting schedule to check out RoseVeRte’s newest game, How To Fool A Liar King and all I can say is wow, what a cute game!!! I’ve been following this game for a long time now, and while I all over the production info (read: stalking the RoseVeRte social media accounts), real life kept me from starting the game until just recently and it was so worth the wait!!

I seriously want to thank the RoseVeRte team for sending me a review copy of the game, you guys are awesome and I can’t thank you guys enough for creating such a fun otome game!

Since I’m still getting back into the reviewing spirit, I’m gonna keep this review on the casual side, while still covering the pros and cons of the game! So, lets get this show on the road, here’s my review of How to Fool a Liar King! 

Continue reading “[Otome Game Review] How To Fool A Liar King”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #20

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s been awhile, but…. *drumroll* It’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming, the weekly post series where I spotlight three otome games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #20”

[New Release] Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is OUT!!

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Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is now available for purchase from Amazon (US) for just $39.99!! The game is a PS Vita only title, you must have the system in order to play it!

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, I receive a small commission from Amazon every time you all purchase something using those links. Also all images belong to Aksys Games!*

Continue reading “[New Release] Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is OUT!!”

[New Release] Campus Nightlife is Now Available on Steam!!

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Campus Nightlife from OperaHouse is now available for purchase on Steam for just $23.99 (20% off until May 16th)!! Regular retail $29.99! The game is only available in English for the Steam client, so you will need to create an account to play it!

*Disclaimer: While the writing is mine, the images used in this post are not, they belong to OperaHouse!*

Continue reading “[New Release] Campus Nightlife is Now Available on Steam!!”

[New Release] Period Cube ~Shackles of Amadaeus~ is OUT!!

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Last July, Aksys Games announced that they would be releasing four otome game titles for western audiences and after months of anticipation the first title on the list, Period Cube ~Shackles of Amadaeus~  is now available for purchase from Amazon for just $39.99!! The game is a PS Vita only title, you must have the system in order to play it!

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, I receive a small commission from Amazon every time you all purchase something using those links. Also all images belong to Aksys Games!*

Continue reading “[New Release] Period Cube ~Shackles of Amadaeus~ is OUT!!”

Let’s Show Our Support for How to Fool a Liar King!

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Edit (6/6): The Indiegogo campaign for this game failed to achieve the necessary funds by the deadline. Despite not reaching their goal, RoseVeRte will continue to work on the game and there tentative release date of September 2017!

Hey hey guys I’m back with yet another Crowdfunding campaign! This time around, I’m spotlighting RoseVeRte’s upcoming fantasy romance visual novel, How to Fool a Liar King, the sequel to their 2015 visual novel, How to Take Off Your Mask. The game takes place after the ending of the first game and features a new heroine, with a few familiar faces from the first game.

The first game was really cute and I’m curious to see what new secrets this sequel will reveal about Eroolia and it’s residents. Fans of the first game will be sure to love this new edition to the Eroolia saga and new fans will definitely find something fun to add to their games collection. How to Fool a Liar King is currently on Steam Greenlit, so cast your vote if you want to see a Steam release!

Continue reading “Let’s Show Our Support for How to Fool a Liar King!”

Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #16

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Hello all you wonderful Heroes and Travelers, it’s Thrifty Thursday and that means another Thrifty Gaming, the weekly post series where I spotlight three otome games/visual novels for gamers on a budget. Whatever your financial situation, I’m here to bring you affordable games that won’t break the bank!! All of the games on this list are $10 or less (does not include limited time offers and sale items), so no more weepy wallets!

shut_up_and_take_my_money

This week’s post will include links to the games and a brief synopsis, but let me stress that these are not reviews, but recommendations… so your mileage may vary! Now that that’s out of the way lets get on to this week’s list!!

Continue reading “Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #16”

[New Release] The Charming Empire is Now Available on Steam!!

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The Charming Empire from OperaHouse is now available for purchase on Steam for just $23.99 (20% off until April 25th)!! Regular retail $29.99! The game is only available in English for the Steam client, so you will need to create an account to play it!

*Disclaimer: While the writing is mine, the images used in this post are not, they belong to OperaHouse!*

Continue reading “[New Release] The Charming Empire is Now Available on Steam!!”

Don’t Do It: Where I Stand on Piracy in the Otome Community

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This post has been a long time coming, and while I have been relatively silent on the whole thing, this is something that needed to be said. Now, there are two reasons I have been quiet about this and they are as follows: One, I know some of the purists out there will find my stance a bit “controversial” (mind you I legit made air quotes when I said that) and I didn’t want to deal with the backlash from that when I was just getting my start… believe it or not I am sensitive about that sort of thing. Two, I was a pirate myself and I had no desire to draw attention to myself by making any claims one way or the other, again in order to avoid backlash…

control your emotions

Before you guys start sharpening your axes and grabbing your pitchforks, I’ll have you know I am reformed and believe me, I have the bank statements to prove it! So, I more or less have a pretty strong opinion about people pirating games, however, you should note that I am not a purist in any sense of the word, so my stance is double sided. I am prepared for a bit of backlash with this one and honestly, you’d be pretty hard pressed to change my opinion on this topic since I have literally been on both sides of the debate. But, I do encourage you all to share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section, however, keep the personal attacks to yourself. I am not against telling someone to *clears throat* “Go fuck themselves”, and that’s literally all the warning I plan on giving, because I do not tolerate personal attacks. 

*Disclaimer: This post contains my thoughts and my opinions about piracy and such I tend to use rather colorful language when discussing things I am passionate about, be warned that there will be a bit of swearing involved in this post. I could have censored this post, but I didn’t! 

Continue reading “Don’t Do It: Where I Stand on Piracy in the Otome Community”

[New Release] Nightshade is HERE!!

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Back in November, D3 Publisher announced that they would be releasing their historical otome game, Nightshade, well it is now available for purchase on Steam for just $27.99 (20% off until April 18th)!! Regular retail $34.99! The game is only available in English for the Steam client, so you will need to create an account to play it!

*Disclaimer: While the writing is mine, the images used in this post are not, they belong to D3 Publisher and Red Entertainment!*

Continue reading “[New Release] Nightshade is HERE!!”

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Embracing reality torn apart

Cheap Boss Attack

The Uninteresting Life and Times of a Sewer-Dwelling Console Heathen

3PStart

A blog focused on old-school gaming, among other general gaming information and communities.