otome settings/careers/concepts you'd like to see more of

[tsuki_mi]

i know this thread has been done a few times before, but please bear with me! i was thinking about otome games where the setting is a big draw for me, and then it kind of evolved into what career for the mc specifically i'd want to see, or any concepts that i would want more of.

setting

i'm from california in the USA so i want to see more otome games that take place there. i'd love it if sidekicks! could get a localization because i know for sure that one is in california, and i also count cupid parasite since los york is 1/2 los angeles :P they even have the golden gate bridge! i also find it really interesting to see how japanese writers depict america in general too. i thought new sieg from bustafellows (aka new york) was such a vibrant and energetic city ... and it was fun getting the little references being made, like their version of trader joe's. there are a tonnn of indie games that do get to this but i guess my preference always lies in fully completed otome games for that kind of polish, and it feels a little special when it's a non-american making a game about america i think!​

career

i keep thinking an idol mc would be really interesting! we see a lot more idol LIs, but i have this imagined otome scenario where the LIs can be like your manager, your fan, a fellow member or etc, and preferably with a bit of a red flag/manipulative streak too :P i feel terrible for irl idols who are under intense pressure and monitoring at all times from a fanbase that will turn on you asap... but in an otome game that sounds like a great recipe for bad ends LOL. the closest thing i can think of is ST4RDOM but it's a wip and also text-based, and i would love to see artwork of the idol life.​

​

i also have thoughts about a researcher mc! i don't really care if it's wet lab or dry lab research or whatever she's researching, but it's more the idea of having an mc that is both actually responsible and also very intelligent who's advancing the field of science #girlboss. i guess academia is also interesting to me, but not in the typical high school or undergraduate way that's pretty common.​

concept

i love isekai!! well obviously i'm excited for over requiemz, but i read a ton of manhwa and webnovels where the mc goes into the world of a story and struggles to fight her fate. is this my sign to play the my next life as a villainess otome game and even if tempest? probably. but i also like more 4th wall breaking and meta ways of playing around with the otome game formula, kind of like what ddlc does...​

also wow i just typed up a bunch of stuff. i'd love to know other niche concepts or unique ideas that haven't been done often or haven't been done right!!

 

[dansio]

personally i'd like to see an addict mc because i think it would be interesting plot wise. i tend to prefer dramatic series so i like darker themes in general. i did really enjoy cupid parasite tho! there was a gossip girl otome mobile game wayyyy back and i really enjoyed that one probably because it was a hollywood setting and it was quite dramatic.

 

[tsuki_mi]

personally i'd like to see an addict mc because i think it would be interesting plot wise. i tend to prefer dramatic series so i like darker themes in general. i did really enjoy cupid parasite tho! there was a gossip girl otome mobile game wayyyy back and i really enjoyed that one probably because it was a hollywood setting and it was quite dramatic.

wahhh thank you for your reply!! i also like really dramatic otomes hehe and i would love to see exploration of mcs who fall outside of the prim and proper way i usually see them depicted. i agree that an addict mc would be interesting, especially since there could be a lot to think about in terms of how she got to that state and how characters around her treat her. very good food for thought...

honestly i would like more otome of existing franchises too! they probably won't ever exist unless in these super specific scenarios like death flag villainess or as fangames, but a girl can imagine :P

 

[Nihilistic]

I'd love to see something in the otome setting the same as slow damage. A broken character with unique outlook on sex, life and things in general. Honestly I adore the sort of broken protagonist who can indulge in their own pleasures.

 

[sdmjssvkfd]

I'd love to see something in the otome setting the same as slow damage. A broken character with unique outlook on sex, life and things in general. Honestly I adore the sort of broken protagonist who can indulge in their own pleasures.

yes, i didn't know how badly i wanted this until i read this lol! as someone who doesn't self-insert when playing otomes (or BL), i love when the protagonist is a well-developed character in their own sense and feels like their own unique character and seeing a more raw/broken protagonist would be so good

 

[tsuki_mi]

I'd love to see something in the otome setting the same as slow damage. A broken character with unique outlook on sex, life and things in general. Honestly I adore the sort of broken protagonist who can indulge in their own pleasures.

wow, my roommate was just talking about slow damage! i agree that it's such a nuanced and complex setting + cast of characters, and i really like the descent into depravity. i feel like BL games tend to have more of these more hedonistic but also fascinating premises which is great too! but a shame since my tastes skew more freaky haha

 

[tsuki_mi]

yes, i didn't know how badly i wanted this until i read this lol! as someone who doesn't self-insert when playing otomes (or BL), i love when the protagonist is a well-developed character in their own sense and feels like their own unique character and seeing a more raw/broken protagonist would be so good

i also totally agree!! i'm a bit of both where i self-insert a little but i also really enjoy full-fledged and unique protagonists. do you have any recs for these types of protags? :D

 

[Nihilistic]

Even a specifically evil or corrupted protagonist would be fun too. Perhaps like Yang from Piofore, a protagonist who is in charge, does questionable things for their own benefit who then has the choices of love interests that will open pathways to a more kinder state of mind and life; or not depending on the characters choices. AHH now I want to make a game, I'm good at writing plots but I don't think I'm good at anything else.

 

[sdmjssvkfd]

i also totally agree!! i'm a bit of both where i self-insert a little but i also really enjoy full-fledged and unique protagonists. do you have any recs for these types of protags? :D

i personally enjoyed the MCs from Code: Realize, Cupid Parasite, Taisho x Alice, Club Suicide, and Bustafellows (i really enjoy her voicing). i've also heard good things about the MCs from even if TEMPEST and JackJeanne when it comes to having well developed MCs but i haven't played them yet.

 

[sdmjssvkfd]

Even a specifically evil or corrupted protagonist would be fun too. Perhaps like Yang from Piofore, a protagonist who is in charge, does questionable things for their own benefit who then has the choices of love interests that will open pathways to a more kinder state of mind and life; or not depending on the characters choices. AHH now I want to make a game, I'm good at writing plots but I don't think I'm good at anything else.

i love the concept of an evil MC. the 'i can fix him' trope is super popular in romance as a whole and i definitely get the appeal but i've always liked the idea of 'i can make him worse' and a game with an evil MC exploring that (or allowing you to explore the LIs making the MC better) would be so good

 

[LapisWhale]

I would like a monster MC :Dd I really like ayakashi LIs, it would be refreshing to see an ayakashi MC with human LIs =))

 

[totallyamanda]

i'd love more apocalypse or zombie themes.
i want horror but in a cute lets-hold-hands to survive kinda way.

i'd too love the idol concept without the joining a boy group as a facade.

i'd love some royalty where your being a royal member of the family carries weight and importance and not just BODYGUARDS as love interests.
i want servants, foreign ambassadors, jesters, banished villians as the love interests.

i think certain parts of the states would force a different type of love interests that could be interesting. midwest to upper east to swamp dwellers would be so fun! to romance for a change of pace.

i agree with the monster sentiments! i'd also wish they would lean hard into the monstrosity aspect or maybe more cryptid instead of just...non human ears. (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

 

[st0nques]

I would like a monster MC :Dd I really like ayakashi LIs, it would be refreshing to see an ayakashi MC with human LIs =))

I second this!!! A reverse beauty and the beast would make my heart melt

 

[Calemy]

I'd love to see something in the otome setting the same as slow damage. A broken character with unique outlook on sex, life and things in general. Honestly I adore the sort of broken protagonist who can indulge in their own pleasures.

omg yesss, I love broken protagonists, it's a completely different point of view, very fresh and even relatable. Towa is pretty existencialist himself and lives for what gives him pleasure, i would love more characters having thay "dark side", not always being so positive or sweet

 

[usagi-k]

i really really want a horror concept otome >< i know sullyland is a recent in development title but im not sure how high the horror level for it will be but i would love a melancholic/dreary horror otome compared to survival & action themed settings we already have ^^ having that sense of hopelessness and wanting to clutch onto the one other person you know for sure is human would create such a good romantic setting and to me horror stories are almost always related to grief and mystery + a calm but unnerving world which would so so good for an otome !!!

similar to other people i do want a mc thats just a selfish and kind of a bad person lmao cause with every game i play im like "no wonder the guys fall in love with her shes an angel/shes so cute" i dont think she needs to be rude or stubborn since the way most otomes write mcs with those traits tends to lean towards annoying or just immature but just someone a little broken with bad trust issues who's very upfront about her stance on things and prioritizes herself! with a scenario like that youd also have a reverse with the lis instead being the ones to "fix her" which would be fun !!

 

[Watera]

Hmm, I'd like to see more historical otome games that focus on women who worked during that era, not as princesses or empresses or anything like that. I'd like games about women who were spies, farmers, messengers, restaurant owners, or something similar, i like Ken ga kimi 's heroine Kayo , it's true at beginning she had to pretend as princess but after she came back home she went back to her life

 

[pinkpinkatron]

I'd love to see a denpa focused otome. Don't know any as far as I know

 

[YummyYum]

I would be interested in more games set in a modern setting, but with magical/fantasy elements. Kind of like Cafe Enchante, but never leaving the regular world/cafe!

I would like a monster MC :Dd I really like ayakashi LIs, it would be refreshing to see an ayakashi MC with human LIs =))

This would be amazing, too!

 

[orionsbestie]

This is super unlikely because the genre is barely popular in the region, but I'd love to see a Latin American setting! There's potential, just... otoge isn't popular around these lands orz the game development scene is really small too.
Other than that, I'd love to see a psychologist MC. Or even a veterinary MC!

 

[noch]

An otome game with cooking mini-games a la cooking mama, waku waku sweets, etc. would be neat. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach or whatever, but really, I think any career-oriented otome game would be fun. Like, fishing could be cool too. Just anything other than farming, please...

But if we're talking strictly about traditional vns, I second wanting to see more horror. Urban legends and paranormal kind of horror, specifically. Haven't played 9 R.I.P. but I heard it was pretty tame and more of a slice-of-life

 

[tsuki_mi]

thank you all for your responses!! i loved reading them :D

Even a specifically evil or corrupted protagonist would be fun too. Perhaps like Yang from Piofore, a protagonist who is in charge, does questionable things for their own benefit who then has the choices of love interests that will open pathways to a more kinder state of mind and life; or not depending on the characters choices. AHH now I want to make a game, I'm good at writing plots but I don't think I'm good at anything else.

i love your plot, honestly you should just make the game :P i like the idea of the love interests needing to fix you. i feel like the protagonist never gets to be a bad person in any game, which like... let me be a red flag for once!!

i personally enjoyed the MCs from Code: Realize, Cupid Parasite, Taisho x Alice, Club Suicide, and Bustafellows (i really enjoy her voicing). i've also heard good things about the MCs from even if TEMPEST and JackJeanne when it comes to having well developed MCs but i haven't played them yet.

i loved the cupid parasite, taisho x alice, and bustafellows mcs too! even if tempest and jackjeanne are also on my list hehe i think we have the same taste for everything. i'll keep an eye out for a code: realize sale in that case!! and i think club suicide does have an eng translation out, right? i heard it's not necessarily a romance game so i've been lukewarm about it thus far but if recommended i might as well check it out !

I would like a monster MC :Dd I really like ayakashi LIs, it would be refreshing to see an ayakashi MC with human LIs =))

i agree!! wait i really like that idea haha i want to be the freaky weird one and let the love interests be the ones learning about me! i also like the idea of mc having to "adjust" to the human world and learning about the things we take granted, i love these dramatic irony type plots...

i'd love more apocalypse or zombie themes.
i want horror but in a cute lets-hold-hands to survive kinda way.

i'd too love the idol concept without the joining a boy group as a facade.

i'd love some royalty where your being a royal member of the family carries weight and importance and not just BODYGUARDS as love interests.
i want servants, foreign ambassadors, jesters, banished villians as the love interests.

i think certain parts of the states would force a different type of love interests that could be interesting. midwest to upper east to swamp dwellers would be so fun! to romance for a change of pace.

i agree with the monster sentiments! i'd also wish they would lean hard into the monstrosity aspect or maybe more cryptid instead of just...non human ears. (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

omggg totally agree!! wait i really love apocalypse/zombie stories but we barely see them ever... i know there's like two mobile otome with zombies but i want a full game not microtransactions with that!! i like the idea of needing to reply on someone to survive ... and maybe they take advantage of that? :P

being in a royal family sounds great too! we often only see bodyguards like you said or princes, but rarely other more fascinating kinds of love interests. 100% agree!

i really really want a horror concept otome >< i know sullyland is a recent in development title but im not sure how high the horror level for it will be but i would love a melancholic/dreary horror otome compared to survival & action themed settings we already have ^^ having that sense of hopelessness and wanting to clutch onto the one other person you know for sure is human would create such a good romantic setting and to me horror stories are almost always related to grief and mystery + a calm but unnerving world which would so so good for an otome !!!

similar to other people i do want a mc thats just a selfish and kind of a bad person lmao cause with every game i play im like "no wonder the guys fall in love with her shes an angel/shes so cute" i dont think she needs to be rude or stubborn since the way most otomes write mcs with those traits tends to lean towards annoying or just immature but just someone a little broken with bad trust issues who's very upfront about her stance on things and prioritizes herself! with a scenario like that youd also have a reverse with the lis instead being the ones to "fix her" which would be fun !!

horror otome are SO few and far between, and idk how many i would consider horror tbh. you describe it sooo poetically, holding onto the only other human you know... forced to love by proximity... questioning whether you would still feel the same for each other if the situation was reversed, but at the same time your love for one another is bone-deep survival and the two of you can't live without each other.... i think something more eldritch/subtly creepy would fit that so well! honestly yess need more psychological horror

yess i'd love to see the LIs be the one to fix her for once!! not that i don't like the happy-go-lucky or the sweet types of mcs but cinderella phenomenon scratched an itch for an honestly kind of mean and rude mc that i didn't know i needed. i'd also want someone more manipulative and cunning too hehe because usually the mcs are always getting outsmarted

Hmm, I'd like to see more historical otome games that focus on women who worked during that era, not as princesses or empresses or anything like that. I'd like games about women who were spies, farmers, messengers, restaurant owners, or something similar, i like Ken ga kimi 's heroine Kayo , it's true at beginning she had to pretend as princess but after she came back home she went back to her life

ooh historical! i can't say i play a lot about those but i'd love to see more eras of history and not just japanese history w samurai :D there's a lot of interesting historical periods that i think would be fascinating to consider (although admittedly for me it's literally just historical times related to wherever i've lived LOL) but a little deviation would make me very happy

I'd love to see a denpa focused otome. Don't know any as far as I know

admittedly i had to look up what denpa meant but then i totally got it and i agree!! i think that slow descent would be hard to pull off but very rewarding if you can get players to full feel that descent. i want to be horrified!

I would be interested in more games set in a modern setting, but with magical/fantasy elements. Kind of like Cafe Enchante, but never leaving the regular world/cafe!

oooh i love urban fantasy too! i hope we get more of these playful and fun settings :D

This is super unlikely because the genre is barely popular in the region, but I'd love to see a Latin American setting! There's potential, just... otoge isn't popular around these lands orz the game development scene is really small too.
Other than that, I'd love to see a psychologist MC. Or even a veterinary MC!

i totally get it! i hope you eventually get a game like that :D i was pretty happy about otome daoshi for that reason but everyone says it's kind of mid so i got sad again ... best of luck to us both hehe.

i want a psychologist mc too! i'm studying to be one so it's just something i'm personally interested in but there's a lot of potential for either fixing up LIs or making them worse :P

An otome game with cooking mini-games a la cooking mama, waku waku sweets, etc. would be neat. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach or whatever, but really, I think any career-oriented otome game would be fun. Like, fishing could be cool too. Just anything other than farming, please...

But if we're talking strictly about traditional vns, I second wanting to see more horror. Urban legends and paranormal kind of horror, specifically. Haven't played 9 R.I.P. but I heard it was pretty tame and more of a slice-of-life

haha farming has definitely been a mainstay for .... forever, really. i was recently reading kitchen princess actually and i was thinking man if only we had a minigame to make these desserts or something.. so i totally see it! i'd love to see more esoteric careers with minigames too, just because i think we've already run the gauntlet of most popular careers now

yes to horror! i played a bit of 9RIP and i need to get back to it, but it's absolutely tame and more of a slice-of-life. i went to the "scariest" route first and i'll just say the horror is really more of a suggestion and not really a feature haha ... i still enjoyed it ofc but it didn't really scare me at all LOL

 

[Leviathan_01]

It must be because lately I've been watching Dexter with my brother and also playing Ace Attorney Chronicles, and it might also be influenced by Collar x Malice, which is my favorite otome game, but the first thing that comes to mind is that I'd like more otome games with a greater focus on suspense and that could give a glimpse into the psychology of the human mind. When I played CxM, I remember really liking the theme of justice and how the game presents each side of the coin. I think that's cool because it leaves open possible debates and interpretations (you know, like Death Note do, where there's the debate about which point of view was right, L's or Kira's). I also liked that in the Fandisk we can get a better glimpse of the Adonis group, and despite the members being criminals, we can see that there's humanity in them and sympathize with them. Since then, I've found myself longing for Lis as flawed and broken as the people in Adonis (not the standard tropes like a yandere or a Li who sees the MC as his "salvation"), but truly irredeemable and incorrigible love interests that tackle a solid theme, leaving room for ethical and moral debates.

I think I'd also like to see an otome game focused on paintings and drawings. Something with the same vibe as Lovebrush Chronicles, Barakamon, or Bakuman!

 

[Eril $akurai]

Revenge plots, depressed or suicidal mc, psychological horror, and utsuge.