SweetieGames

As someone with around 200 otome games under my belt spanning across 11 years, it takes a lot to surprise me when I’m starting a new otome title. When a plot truly takes me by surprise and gets me excited, I know I’ve found something truly special. We’re seeing a lot of different and unique takes on the genre lately, so I’m excited to see where the future of the otome genre leads!

However, while some tropes are there for a reason (because they’re timeless), some I would be happy never seeing again. Inspired by my recent playthrough of Illusion of Itehari, here are some otome game tropes I am truly tired of!

No more love rivals

One of the reasons I fell in love with otome (no pun intended) was that many of the games featured empowered female protagonists who were feminine yet powerful. The quality of otome protagonists has also been drastically improving over the years, and some of my all time favourite protags have been from very recent games. However, there does still seem to be a drought of female friends for our protagonists, with many women in otome continuing to be villains or rivals for our protagonist to defeat to end up with the love interest.

Thankfully, we’re seeing this one less, but I’d be happy to not see it again. I’d rather the women in otome games show off the power of female friendship and give the reader the opportunity to find out more about the protagonist through her relationships with others outside of the love interest.

Cute characters don’t have to be the big bad guy!

This can go hand in hand with love rivals, as otomes are especially guilty of making cutesy girls secretly (or overtly) evil. It’s reached a point where the second I see a girl with big eyes and dressed in cutesy clothes, I’m immediately on guard. Something messed up is about to happen.

I’ve also noticed that it’s not just cutesy girls who are “twist” villains, but even male characters who are cuter and cheery have been secretly evil and usually revealed at the end of the game! Some of the most popular otome titles right now are guilty of this. I won’t name names, but keep your eyes peeled when you next see a cutesy male character! As someone who loves cute designs, I really wish they weren’t demonised all the time in the story. Let people just be cute!

Let MC Do Things

Of course, this is just my opinion, and many people love when the love interest gives MC the princess treatment. I think it’s great when done well! But I’d love to see more main characters who fight, who get involved, and less love interests who don’t let MC participate in dramatic moments. I’m excited for more games like the upcoming Crazy Chain, which seems to have a fighter MC!

So many otome games are featuring huge action sequences and physical violence now, and we always see it from the perspective of a bystander rather than an active participant. I want to feel part of the action!

If there’s a unique twist on any of these tropes, I’d love to see it. For now, they’ll make my eyes roll when I see them!