What makes a game 'otome'?

[papillon]

I'm old-fashioned, so I happen to be one of those who understand otome games to be GxB dating sims since that's what otome games are(were?) understood to be in Japan -- that is, the main 'victory condition' of the game is to get the guy.

I'm not entirely sure the Japanese have sorted out what these terms mean either. Browse DLsite for Japan-produced works and you can find things tagged both 'otome' and 'yaoi' that are actually GxG. (As I recall the 'yaoi' tag is actually just their 'for women' tag that got confusingly translated.)

I lack the knowledge of the language to figure out whether that's common or just someone misclicking though.

[Asceai]

I'm not entirely sure the Japanese have sorted out what these terms mean either. Browse DLsite for Japan-produced works and you can find things tagged both 'otome' and 'yaoi' that are actually GxG. (As I recall the 'yaoi' tag is actually just their 'for women' tag that got confusingly translated.)

I lack the knowledge of the language to figure out whether that's common or just someone misclicking though.

I haven't seen that myself, but DLsite's tagging is low quality enough that 'misclick' wouldn't surprise me. When I browse the 'otome game' tag on EGS (and it's literally called 'otome game') I get stuff that all looks like it should belong there to me - no BxB/GxG.

That said, I should also state that I have never seen a Japanese otome game with any serious GxG route. I especially haven't seen an 18+ one. This might be a big gap in my awareness and I'm open to suggestions to fill it =P
EDIT: Throwing in the 'onnanoko doushi' pov on top of the 'otome game' tag on EGS reveals a grand total of two titles. I haven't played either of them, but I guess it indicates that they exist, at least. My only concern is that POVs are lower quality than tags, especially when it comes to titles with very few votes and all otome games come under that umbrella.

[KittyKatStar]

Actually, that's really interesting-- Autumn's Journey was what gave me the idea my game could maybe be classified as otome, because when I played through I got the friendship route (still need to go back for the romances!) and I thought, wait a minute, if people support this as an otome game, then maybe the genre is a bit wider than I initially thought? I'm split equally between friendships and romances on my game, and I've got a similarly action-oriented protagonist who's there to bluster around and attempt to do her job fightin' stuff at the same time as building relationships, I guess the major difference is that the key romances in mine are GxG and the protagonist is a bit older and a bit less cute.

Oh wow, I had no idea! ^^; I'm glad AJ was able to help.

I hear you. I like the idea of exploring *different* types of relationships - friends, romance, family, romantic friendship. It's still building a relationship with someone, understanding that person and probably going down a 'route' with them. Juuust instead of a kiss, you might get a high-five, reconcile with your bratty twin sister, or become an unstoppable duo in fighting monsters.

And I'd like to see more GxG in the otome genre.

I also LOVE Shadow Hearts omg jlkdjfk;dsjfkldsjf such an amazing series, especially the second installment, ah it's so good and I want to see more games like it.

Hey, there's another thing. Does otome attach certain expectations for a protagonist, in most people's minds? Of age, personality, actions, etcetera. Since most otome games have teenage girls at the lead. I guess because I think the genre translates to 'maiden games' if I recall.

Uh... just a character I'd hope to relate to or at least see as a person? Whether an energetic teenager, or a career-driven woman in her 30's, or college student still deciding on her major...

[Reikun]

So maybe sub-definitions would help? "Adventure otome" for otome games with a heavier emphasis on adventure plots, "friendship otome" for games with a focus on non-romantic relationships, "mild otome" for games that are borderline otome... I just think that like the term visual novel, the term "otome game" already carries plenty of connotations. Ignoring them would confuse some people.

I think this is a good start. Labels are useful for quickly finding things one would be most likely be interested in, and filtering out things one wouldn't be interesting in. Giving "otome" a modifier is a simple way to express two genres in one and someone more interested in one tag or the other might be persuaded to give your game a try.

As for what makes something an "otome game": Traditionally, a ren'ai game geared towards women, usually with a female protagonist where you woo men and uh... all that good stuff (I like otome games but admittedly I haven't played that many). Realistically? No one's going to stop you, although some people might complain, if you label your multi-genre-straddling-game-with-otome-like-elements an "otome game." If you're brave enough to use a label outside of its traditional definition, go for it.

[papillon]

I've seen j-otome games with girl routes but usually more friendship (possibly romantic friendship) and not a real romance... not that it helps because the anti-yuri bloggers seem to whine just as hard about it anyway.

Gekka Ryouran ROMANCE seems to have a for-real yuri route, complete with offscreen sex. Which I can say because of the comments yelling "EW EW EW" about it (sigh - and the actual comments are much worse than that but you get the idea).

[Cafechan]

So maybe sub-definitions would help? "Adventure otome" for otome games with a heavier emphasis on adventure plots, "friendship otome" for games with a focus on non-romantic relationships, "mild otome" for games that are borderline otome... I just think that like the term visual novel, the term "otome game" already carries plenty of connotations. Ignoring them would confuse some people.

I think this is a neat and tidy way to deal with it! Sub-definitions... I feel like otome definitely carries certain expectations, but I also welcome the broadening of the otome genre, even if that makes it harder to define... haha!

I brought this up in my own thread, but this is a good place to bring it up again, I think. The game I'm writing more or less follows the stereotypical otome format (pursuing pretty boys =p, focus on interpersonal relationships, written with a teen/all ages audience in mind), but the main character is gender neutral, so I've been torn over whether or not to classify it as otome.

Seeing how widely the otome genre can vary, I'm leaning towards "I ought to be able to," but a female protagonist also seems to be the only common factor amongst all the different otome games, so I'm at a loss.

As other have said, if only we had labels that didn't adhere so much to gender stereotypes. I'd like to think otome is more geared towards the audience (if it will generally appeal to girls, I'd say that counts as otome, regardless of the protag, story tone, or pursuable romances), but it's hard to say... since if that's the case, even BL can be categorized that way... (confused sigh)

[Katta]

So, you put female-perspective romance in an adventure story, this (and yeah this is definitely a sad theory) makes it a game for women. Entirely in theory, this is kind of reductive and sad, etc etc, you get the idea.

Yes, that's the main idea, that's exactly why I asked my question, because it seemed to me from your first post that there will be very little romance in your game, but right now it looks like I was wrong. Then I think you can without much hesitation call your game an otome, it doesn't mean that there should be only romance in there, the most interesting ones (imo) have some vast general plot, that has nothing to do with romance, and romance or friendship (which is perfectly fine too) substories with different companions. And I also think yuri/GxG otome should be clear to everyone too.
Though that really creeps me out when games like Lemon are called otome, the protag is only 12 years old and all other characters are much much older... And it's a kinetic too, so I think choice of companions is also an important factor for me in an otome (friendship is fine too).

[fioricca]

I'm not entirely sure the Japanese have sorted out what these terms mean either. Browse DLsite for Japan-produced works and you can find things tagged both 'otome' and 'yaoi' that are actually GxG. (As I recall the 'yaoi' tag is actually just their 'for women' tag that got confusingly translated.)

I lack the knowledge of the language to figure out whether that's common or just someone misclicking though.

I base my understanding on magazines like Girls' Style or B's Log. Both are formal publications that cater to girls; Girls' Style reports exclusively on otome games (including anime adaptations, drama CDs, seiyuu interviews and merchandise) while B's Log includes BL games. B's Log does, however, makes it pretty clear which games are 乙女 (like Seishun Hajimemashita or Colourful Step) and which games are BL (like SiNis Kanto). Seishun Hajimemashita is a pretty interesting case because while it's classed as otome, you can actually choose to play as a girl (Chitose) or a boy (Chihaya). It's also a friendship-centric game with an all-chara friendship route that you can unlock once you've triggered all the flags! I'm relatively new to these publications but for the past year and a half I don't think I've seen either magazine report yuri content...

Though that really creeps me out when games like Lemon are called otome, the protag is only 12 years old and all other characters are much much older... And it's a kinetic too, so I think choice of companions is also an important factor for me in an otome (friendship is fine too).

I can confirm that Lemon isn't an otome game (by my own definition) even though it has fanservicey elements because I can. /gets hit A few chose to label it as an otome game, probably because you play as a girl surrounded by hot dudes (??). It's actually more of an adventure KN but I'm not concerned at all about how people view it, because in the end I just want as many people to check out the game as possible and hopefully enjoy it.

[hiko27]

All I really understood of otome games back then was that it has to have a female protagonist and a guy(s) to pursue. Basically a GxB game since it's geared towards girls. But nowadays, from the latest releases I've seen, it seems that it also has to be reverse harem aka one girl surrounded by tons of hot dudes. It doesn't have to be in any genre specifically, as long as the 'girl pursuing the (or a) guy' part is in the game, it's considered otome. If it's just a kinetic novel, not giving the player the chance to pursue a guy, then I say it's not an otome game but more of a kinetic novel.

But that's just me. I only started playing otome games 6-7 years ago, I haven't gone far to be called an expert on it imo.

[Rosstin2]

At this point I have absolutely no clue what to call Queen At Arms.

Maybe just an adventure game with dating.

[Shoko]

Good question. If you want your character to be focused on her job / goals / friends / family, then write that story! I don't know exactly what you'd call it. Maybe it can only be placed in a category of its own. Perhaps it will be enough to tell your audience "This is the story of a policewoman who's a monster huntress." If the romance aspect is not all that important, don't emphasize it.

I think this is actually the source of my quandary-- dipping out of the genre again, my main influence for what I'm writing is Shadow Hearts, which was an RPG about love and adventure, in equal parts. The crux of Shadow Hearts was essentially 'boy meets girl, fights eldritch horrors with girl, falls in love-- love and fisticuffs combine to save the world', which is the vibe I'm going for. So it's about fighting and adventuring, but it's about doing those with someone beside you, whether they're a friend or a lover. I don't want to sell the romance/friendship aspect short because it is a big part of the game, whether you have a connection and what type of connection you have with your companions does decide your ending. In most cases in a very bombastic, loud way where you've got kissing and triumphing over villainy and all that good stuff. I mean, one route has an ending which is just a big-ass homage to Howl's Moving Castle.

That sounds exactly like something I'd call an otome. Otome is the same as "Female Protagonist and male character paths" in my mind. The idea that the entire game is engineered to appeal to women specifically doesn't cross my mind.

... On the flipside though it is an interplay of the two. I don't want to sell the romance short and end up with people going 'I came for the biker Frankenstein lady getting into fights, what's all this kissing stuff'. I also don't want to oversell it and have people saying 'how dare you imply this would be romantic and appealing to girls, I just shot someone'. Otome implies one, adventure implies the other. I couldn't fit both tags into my thread title because the title of the game is too long, which is a pretty amusing issue which made me interested in having this discussion to figure which would be more appropriate.

Perhaps a good name for this would be 'otomaybe'. Maybe it's otome, maybe it's not. Kiss people, punch people, do what you like.

Have you ever looked up blogs of people playing japanese otome games and reviewing them in english? I've read a bunch, and I swear, the most ridiculous, dark things out there happen in them. There's definitely not a barrier to violence or shooting unless it's for a specific age range, nor should one expect there to be. I mean I doubt women dislike action any more than men. The ones who don't should be able to tell based on how you market it, giving equal weight to the romance/friendship and action if it's 50/50. 'Action Otome' or "Action adventure romance game' would be the tag I'd give it based on your description.

The term otome isn't even that well known to the general populous at the moment since VNs are just becoming more mainstream, so it'd be good to find a way to describe it without the label too.

[Artemisia]

An Otome game is any game that's much more appealing to (heterosexual) females. They were made for ''otome-s'', and that's exactly why they're called ''otome games''. Simple.

Perhaps the question should be...: What do most (heterosexual) females look for in a video game?

Super-simple: Lots and lots of hot guys to *beeep*! Pffft... Just kidding.

Most of the hetero-females of this planet are interested in romance, of course. And beauty, art, flowers, butterflies, rainbows, poetry, fashion, emotions, fortune-telling, magic, spirituality, history, fairytales... ^.^

What do most (heterosexual) males look for in a video game? LOL. Violence, blood, monsters, ugliness, rape, hookers, gangs, guns, corpses, sex, abusive-language... >.>

Well, I'm a super-aggresive, monster-eating, worse-than-Hitler, heterosexual female, who ADORES everything nice and beautiful, just like a princess; so... personally, I might find every kind of game appealing!

[Vatina]

Hrm... probably the difference between Nancy Drew games, and Bayonetta/Lara Croft?

Depressing for me since I like Nancy Drew a lot more than either of those two, but it's a valid point =P

Embrace the otome Asceai!

An Otome game is any game that's much more appealing to (heterosexual) females. They were made for ''otome-s'', and that's exactly why they're called ''otome games''.

I would say something along the lines of this. If you want your game pointed in a more descriptive direction, also add tags like "romance" or "action" to let the audience know what the plot and style of your otome is, since not all otome games are for all otome players. Just like all BxG games are not for all BxG players.

[Asceai]

Hrm... probably the difference between Nancy Drew games, and Bayonetta/Lara Croft?

Depressing for me since I like Nancy Drew a lot more than either of those two, but it's a valid point =P

Embrace the otome Asceai!

Actually it may be more because I read those books as a kid, whereas Lara Croft is the protagonist of an incredibly polygonal game with incredibly awkward controls I never got into and Bayonette is someone in some modern console game I don't care about =P

[hiko27]

Japanese Wiki on otome game. They pretty much say it's a romance game for women, where the protagonist is female. Its opposite is a galge. Most otome games are reverse harem, so if your game is romance, has a reverse harem, and the protagonist is female, it's pretty much an otome game regardless of its other genres. Even if it's not reverse harem (aka picking one of two guys), as long as it has romance and the protagonist is female (has to be GxB I believe), then it's still an otome game. I mean, your audience for otome games are the ladies, so ofc the elements in your game have to have them in mind. And according to society, we love romances.

Though from what I've seen, most otome games nowadays (heck I think every otome game ever created) are reverse harem games, with a female protagonist ofc. And no, BL games aren't otome games. Although they're geared towards us ladies (yaoi/BL is for women, BL for guys is bara fyi), not all women like BL. But anyways, for me, otome doesn't count a GxB game with just one guy and a girl. I mean... The point of otome games for me is to have a variety of handsome guys to chase after. Though imo, if the game has a girl route, that's perfectly fine. As long as there are more guy routes than girl routes, then it still constitutes as otome in my eyes.

And random, but according to the wiki page, the first otome game was Angelique. First time the term was used was when Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side was released in 2002. Harukanaru is also considered a very notable otome game.