Visual Novels and Otomes getting adapted to anime is a pretty common occurrence. It’s a good way to get some publicity for your game while putting out an anime with a guaranteed audience from the fans of the game. I’m gonna call it cross-media advertising. I’m pretty sure that’s not what it means….
Let’s face it, you’re not here to learn things (please tell me you haven’t taken anything on this site seriously… I cannot be held responsible for that!) No, no…Instead, today let’s talk about those delicious casts of characters you would love to take out for a night on the town. Here are my Top 5 shows I would like to see adapted into dating sims!
You know what I found out while doing this post. A lot of shows HAVE dating sims. Like MOST of them. Aside from just about all Sports and Harem shows (and a lot of ecchi games for cute girl shows), stuff like Durarara, Hunter x Hunter and My Hero Academia all have some type of otome game. I didn’t go into it deeply enough to find out whether these are official licensed spinoffs or just sprite art pasted over some random dating sim but if you google them, you will find them. Warning, there are things you cannot unsee.
Anyway, for this here list, I have *tried* to stick to titles that don’t have any dating game incarnation – or at least any I could find on the first google page… I must say, the choices get narrowed down considerably!
Recovery of an MMO junkie
This seems like it would have been a given, seeing as it already has a lot of romantic themes going on. I’ve only recently discovered this show and I really like it. It’s saccharine and oversimplified but also earnest. It makes me feel good.
But more to the point, I would love to play a dating sim that also allows me to play an ingame MMORPG. That’s two games for the price of one. Ok – so I could just go hit on people in an MMO but some of those people can be real mean. For example, I was a complete jerk in WOW. I’m joking, a partial jerk…
Hellsing
I did find a Hellsing “dating game for girls” you tube video but it’s a twick…
I guess gore filled horror animes aren’t your natural go to when thinking about otome inspiration but why not get your heart racing in all sorts of ways. You have a wide range of characters that should cover most kinks and some pretty sumptuous designs to pick from.
I guess a similar argument could be made for Drifters and I’m really just fine with a drifters otome as well. Just typing Drifters Otome was a little weird.
You’re thinking I just want an excuse to date Integra Hellsing and there is no actually reasoning behind this choice. Just let me tell you: you are absolutely right.
Gugure Kokkuri San
Obviously, we are taking Kohina out of the equation. No school kids!
I must admit, this little show is sticking with me for much longer than I would have believed. The absurdist humor and deadpan delivery was right up my alley. Another aspect I tend to appreciate was the cast of very attractive weirdos that populated the show.
There really needs to be more humour based otomes out there (not that Oz Mafia isn’t pure comedy gold, but I don’t know that all of it is on purpose) and with potential suitors like these, you are guaranteed at least as many giggles as flutters. Ok probably more giggles.. Still, I wouldn’t mind taking these boys out on a date, especially since they’re occasionally also very lovely ladies. Talk about best of both worlds.
Bungo Stray Dogs
It seems very odd that I didn’t find a BSD dating sim. At least some type of Yaoi fan made one. Am I the only one who found these guys really quite hot? I’m not sure I can trust my own judgment anymore.
But you know what, this is MY list and I wouldn’t mind spending a Sunday afternoon or two, throwing my virtual pride out the window as I desperately throw my virtual self at… well… pretty much every adult in the cast. Yeah, even the evil ones. Man I really DO need to revisit my standards…
The Royal Tutor
Duh
I mean when I saw the publicity art for this show, I thought it WAS a dating game. Like a weird let’s all date a blonde prince dating game.
If you’ve dismissed the Royal Tutor as unsubstantial fanservice fluff, well you were probably right… But it was very *pleasant* unsubstantial fanservice fluff. What more could you want in a dating sim.
A collage of beautiful, nice, sensitive archetype clichés with just enough tragedy in their pasts to keep things interesting (?) and a few older foxes with dry sarcastic senses of humour. These guys are all designed to be parodies of fantasies, but the series is a little too soft hearted to actually make fun of them and you end up with a bunch of gentle super bishies.
Honestly though, anyone out there know how to program a dating sim. Maybe I could just use visual novel maker. I’m pretty sure I can get the copyrights for next to nothing, I mean it IS cross advertising and all (still no clue what that term means and if I’m using it right).
So while I draw up plans for what’s certainly going to make me a multimillionaire, let me know which series you’d like to virtually date your way through. No judgement! FYI, Psycho Pass already has a dating sim. Just in case you were wondering.
I’d like Akatsuki no Yona and Oresama Teacher.
They’d both be really really interesting!
ohh oresama teacher would be interesting!
I am shocked that Natsume is not here. Now that I think about it though – not enough characters to date I suppose. Unless you include some Yokai. Hey, I’m cool with that.(Okay, I want Hinoe as my wifu) I got to second the Bungo Stray Dogs. I would totally do any of them. I wouldn’t mind having Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans. Who wouldn’t date Olga? And Mika is clearly open to a bit of kink… sorry, I’m old and perverse. LOL. Great article idea!
I can’t bring myself to think of Natsume in terms of sexy times….Maybe if it was one of those super pure Otomes where we just go for ice cream… I have not seen Gundam ut this is the best publicity for it….
Love this post 🙂
If I had to pick an anime to adapt into an Otomes game, I’d choose Black Butler. Sebastian and the reapers would make great Otome characters hehe 😀
iT exists!!!!! Only in Japanese sadly….
Omg really, that’s so cool 😀
It’s a shame it’s only in Japanese, though 🙁 Wonder if Google translate, could read me a badly translated Otome bedtime story hehe 🙂
It can – I’ve played a few Otomes that way – it’s HILARIOUS!
Hahaha… XD I’m so trying that 😀
And all the princes in Royal Tutor got their father’s looks. I’d totally play that series as an otome!
How does it not exist!????!!! These are the questions that keep me up at night.
I never realized until now, I really want a Hellsing dating game with BDSM options. Damn I would so play that game… awesome list now if you don’t mind I think I need to update my Hellsing yaoi folder….
cough – DM cough…
Lol
awww, i looooveeee gugure kokkuri-san!! I want a kokkuri-san plushie sooo bad!!! <3
wait does that exist?
I wouldn’t lie about merchandise! Yes it exists and beyond cute~
I DMd you on Twitter
I luv u
Bungou Stray Dogs is such a natural fit, I wonder why it doesn’t exst. (I’m also suprised about Heine…)
I have a hard-time imagining a suitable main character for Gugure Kokkuri san; Kohina is such an integral part of the humour. I suppose dolls aren’t perturbed by otoge, but, well, yeah. Cognitive dissonance. (I do get wanting to the guys, but I can’t extricate them from the show’s concept enough to imagine the actual game.)
MMO Junky double feature would be an aweinspiring venture – even more so, if you didn’t know beforehand who was who. Imagine the possibilities.
see – Otome studios should come talk to me!
Intresting ideas. But problem is that some games otome aren’t translate to english 🙁 only in Japanese. Rare translate for official english
I know. I will never get to officially understand wand of furtune and that’s a constant source of sadness
I agree
Someday I hope to be half as funny as you!
You flatter me good sir
Ooh, Psycho-pass dating sim. The VN looks really good…would you recommend?
I liked it a lot but it’s still quite expensive for the length. I’m a huge fan of the franchise so you should take that into consideration and Mandatory Happiness is a 5pb game of which I’m also a fangirl, so I’m openly biased.
This a post I fully endorse! XD There are quite a few anime that seem ripe for the Otome picking. Fruits basket, yona of the dawn, fushigi yuugi, any of the jojo bizarre adventures xD bleach, cute high earth defence club LOVE! Inuxboku and so many more (о´∀`о)
Sweet Hinode endorsed! Like I said – I can’t vouch on quality but it seems basically all of these have some sort of dating sim available… except maybe Fushigi Yuugi – I don’t think I had looked that one up… I would get fired if an official Binan Kōkō game came out since I would never do anything else!
I’ll have to do some investigating then! Although I admit one of the reasons I love official Otome releases is because of the gorgeous official art books and fan books *o*
Actually there was a Boueibu otome game (it even got extended to be part puzzle game partway through its life), although it got shut down in May 2017 if I remember right.
I thought I had seen one!
There’s actually a BSD game (JP) app but sadly it’s not dating sim game…which is a bummer! It would actually be a good idea to have one though. Akutagawa is one character I’d love to date in the anime world! lmao nyaaan.
Right…It’s a bevy of bishies…I need to find as proper term for agroup of bishies..
I want Fullmetal alchemist dating SIM. It’s all I’m going to think about ask day now. It’ll be sitting there. I The back of my mind.
I am genuinly surprised one doesn’t exist. Mind you a lot of the interesting characters already have a significant other…
And my reply is, so? I am evil…
Ouch, I’ll make sure to stay out of your way…..meow indeed!
I’m joking of course, don’t you remember why I don’t have a husbando? I hate breaking up established relationships, fictional or otherwise. Still, I’d make a few exceptions for an otome game.
I know – Im the sam way. It’s tough – some very difficult to resist folks in FMA
Don’t even get me started on Bungo stray dogs. They are all hot and they have literary powers! It is like someone made them specifically for me to throw myself at them. I would date the hell out of any of them and then scare them away. Because I’m super awkward and would probably just end up staring at them and stuttering.
You just described my date with Doppo who’s just as smooth so…you know….
The Sword Art Online games combine dating sim with simulated MMO, though obviously they’re not the “otome” way around. I think in the more recent ones you can make a female avatar, though, so you can at least pretend they’re yuri or something.
I really like games that blend elements of visual novels and dating sims with more conventional gameplay, they make for really interesting experiences. And there are plenty of anime ripe for such adaptations!
I dropped SOA very early in the series. I’m not a hater but I just couldn’t get into it for some reason.
No judgement here! I still haven’t watched the full run, though I did enjoy the first season. The games kind of stand by themselves without being reliant on knowledge of the anime, anyway. But it was just an example.