Hey, I have finally returned to this humble blog of mine to hopefully start posting regularly again now that I have graduated with a Masters degree (yay!)
So as a return piece, I thought it would be fine to answer some questions from otometwt created by @adolpheceres which they made a few months back. I already answered them on Twitter at the time but I thought making a post on my answers would be great to, so without further ado: here is the post!
Q1. What Are Your Favorite Otome Games? Share Your Top 5!
In no particular order:
- Collar x Malice
- Cupid Parasite
- Cafe Enchante
- 9 R.I.P.
- Taisho x Alice
Honorable mentions: Dandelion, Hakuoki, Mystic Messenger, Piofiore…
I only just started playing 9 RIP recently and the prologue/common route is pretty long to the point I haven’t gotten a route yet. Not to mention my Japanese is not the greatest and I try to learn as I game so my progress has been slow but I still love it! As for the others, I also haven’t quite finished Taisho x Alice (okay, I’ve only done one episode!) but I know it’s already a favorite. The first 3 games are literally the first handful of otome games I played on the Switch and helped introduce me into this world of 2D men. Particularly, Collar x Malice which I actually streamed the whole game on my twitch and was my first Switch otome that I bought and finished. Honestly, I kind of wish I could relive the experience.
Q2: Who Are Your Favorite Love Interests? Share Your Top 5!
I don’t even know how some people choose just 5 especially if they have played a plethora of otome games which I have not…yet. What I do know is that I can’t decide and when I answered this on Twitter, I just posted a picture of my favorite love interests section of my otometwt profile so I’ll just do link that.
I did make a handful of posts on this blog going more in depth as to why I like some of these men. If interested you can read by clicking on their names down below:
Q3: Favorite Otoge OST?
So with this question, I mainly thought of an opening and not an actual general soundtrack. THUS! I shall amend that by including both my favorite opening and soundtrack (which is kind of hard to do since so many otome games have such amazing music).
My favorite opening: Charade Maniac’s Opening called Hide and Hide by DJ’TEKINA//SOMETHING a.k.a Yuyoyuppe.
I don’t know, guys. There’s something about this song that had this on repeat for a while. Unfortunately, it’s not available in my country on Spotify so YouTube is where I had to turn to. Say what you will about Charade Maniacs but this song is a banger. Note: I also wrote up a first impressions post on this game I have yet to finish because…backlog, so if you’re interested check that out too!
Soundtrack: Cupid Parasite
Like no shot, there was no contest of what my overall favorite soundtrack was in an otome game. The Biscats, the band you hear in the opening and ending of the game, are such legends when it comes to the CupiPari series, I swear. Not only that, but I remember the main singer of the group, Misaki Aono, has actually liked a couple of my Twitter posts in the past and so I am shamelessly plugging their music especially if you like their sound for CupiPari. I’ve already discussed the game and OST in my review of the otome so I won’t dawdle on this answer of mine much longer. But while I have not yet fully played Sweet and Spicy Darling, I do know The Biscats did return to provide music to the OST again and that’s enough for me to say it’s definitely already a great soundtrack.
Side Note: I also really love each of the Parasites themes. Each one really shows the personality of each of the men so well that it’s beautiful…so so beautiful.
Q4: Do You Make Fan Content (Fanarts, Fanfics, Cosplay, etc)? If So, Show It Here!
Well, if you’re on this post, then of course you already know that I have a blog mostly catered to otome. While I do write on other stuff occassionally, posts on otome games usually outweigh any other type of content on here. In addition to blogging, I also create overlays inspired by characters from otome games due to the fact I stream often. Before, I used to stream otome on my main Twitch channel, LostSundae, but that changed after I got into games like DBD and OW so now I exclusively stream them when I can on my alternate channel, SundaeReveries. It’s been a journey for sure! Plus, I do have a YouTube where I post otome stuff as well but it’s still in its infancy so stay tuned for more (hopefully)!
Also, I actually focused heavily on otome games in my Master’s thesis and even snuck a picture of a rather “innocent” picture of Lynette and Allan from one of the promo images from Sweet and Spicy Darling:
Q5: Favorite MC?
Okay, I cheated again and when I answered this on Twitter, I just included a picture of my favorite heroines from my otometwt profile. Again, how am I supposed to choose because a lot of MCs are just so well written and personable I can’t possibly choose just one. Unfortunately, unlike the men, I have not dedicated even a post on the MCs. A mistake I aim to rectify before the summer is hot *fingers crossed*.
Q6: What 2024 Game Are You Most Excited For?
Originally, I had answered Cupid Parasite: Sweet and Spicy Darling, which just came out recently but I still don’t have it since I am really broke right now. At least, I have the Japanese version with my goodies from Stellaworth but I hope to get it before the year is out. In the meantime, I will stick to the Japanese version!
On the other hand, I will say that now that it has been confirmed, I am more looking forward to 9 R.I.P. which should be coming out this year. More on that later!
Q7: Favorite CG of All Time? (Please Mention the Game/Route and Mark the Picture as Sensitive to Avoid Spoiling Others)
Game: Piofiore ~Fated Memories~
Route: Yang
In this case, I will try my best to censor the picture up above. I won’t say much but I will say that this CG still lives rent-free in my mind thanks to just how surprising it was and unlike anything I had encountered before. Mind you, Piofiore was only the 2nd otome game I bought on the Switch so I was (and still am to be honest) new.
Q8: Favorite Seiyuu?
For those who don’t know, seiyuu means voice actor/actress. And just like the love interests and MCs, I honestly can’t just pick one. There are too many iconic seiyuus so I don’t have a particular one I can point out. However, I will name a few that I genuinely get excited for when I see or better yet, hear them in otome games:
- Sugita Tomokazu (Olympia: Kuroba) Note: I legit didn’t know he did otome until I heard him as Kuroba and the teacher in KLAP!
- Matsuoka Yoshitsugu (Olympia: Akaza, Taisho X Alice: Alice)
- Okamoto Nobuhiko (Piofiore: Yang, CupiPari: Peter)
- Ono Yuuki (Cafe Enchante: Ignis, CxM: Saeki)
- Kimura Ryohei (CxM: Shiraishi, CupiPari: Gill, Piofiore: Nicola)
- Umehara Yuuichirou (Cafe Enchante: Canus, Radiant Tale: Paschalia)
- Tsuda Kenjirou (Hakuoki: Kazama, Nightshade: Hanzo)
Yeah…just to name a few…
Q9: What’s Your Biggest Localization Dream/Wish?
For this answer, I picked two otome games: 9 R.I.P. and SnowBoundLand.
Obviously, 9 R.I.P. has since been announced to be localized and released outside of Japan sometime this year. I really look forward to it and hope I have enough money to buy whatever special edition they may have for it cause so far I’m really enjoying the game. Even if I finish it before the English release, I know it will be a treat reliving it all over again.
On the other hand, SnowBoundLand is an otome that not many would know about since it is an older otome that was released over a decade ago and is stuck on the PSP. My wish for it is that it will not only be localized by remade because the mechanics and mini-games are a tiny bit outdated. I know it will never happen but I really do think Snowboundland would definitely have the potential to draw in the enjoyers of fantasy as the game takes inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen (Yes, that story which Disney’s Frozen was based off of). Coincidentally, both the movie and otome game came out in November of 2013.
Is it truly a coincidence???
But really though, I need to make a post on SnowBoundLand because it needs more recognition especially since the lineup of seiyuus featured are ones that most of us are familiar with and would definitely reprise their roles (please please please).
Q10: Favorite Otome Artist?
Yuuya I think is becoming my favorite otome artists due to the fact that when I reflected on the otome games I really liked, coincidentally, Yuuya was the artist for a lot of them. From Cafe Enchante to Cupid Parasite and even the latest release, 9 R.I.P. While I do sometimes think the chins are a bit too pointy at times, I do like Yuuya’s art for the most part, haha.
Q11: Which Is More Important To You In a Game: Plot or Romance? Why?
When I first answered this question on Twitter, I went with plot. No, not that plot. I mean the story, of course! Otome is supposed to be centered around romance at the end of the day but I think if the story falls through and isn’t as fleshed out or convincing then the romance naturally suffers for it among other elements. A lot of people who only know about otome on the surface or those who are just getting into the genre of games may only think romance is the only thing otome has to offer without realizing you will meet with some incredible storytelling. I know that was me when I first started out. I wasn’t prepared for such great storytelling and I personally think too many people are honestly missing out.
Although, I know the prospect of romancing 2D men isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but amazingly there are a handful of otome games that don’t focus on the romance or it’s pushed to the end of the game. This can actually be a complaint for some otome reviewers and players! Yes, believe it or not, otome games can lack romance or at least enough of it to the dissatisfaction of some fans. Still, the central focus is to hook up with your ideal 2D man so that still may not appeal to all. I also respect the opinions of those who are into otome more for the romance than plot, too. At the end of the day, I believe otome can appeal to a wide variety of folks if you’re open-minded and willing to try niche but ever-growing genre of games.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope to come back with more posts on the regular as I am now free from school…possibly forever now!
Take care all and see you in the next post.
