#otome recs

[otomegamesandme]

Top Otomes of 2023

It's that time again! Normally this list is just whatever I played in the year and not new releases, but uh, for once I pretty much only played new releases lol. I'm gonna be honest, I hardly remember what I played because it's been a Year for me. But looking back, these are what stood out!

Norn9 Last Era

Look, I felt the need to add Norn9 on here in some capacity because it was one of the first big otome titles I played way back in 2015. I've been wanting the fandisc ever since, and getting it felt like a dream come true. If you played Norn9 recently you might enjoy this less, but since it's been a hot minute since I last replayed the original I didn't mind the rehashing of the story through the boys' perspectives and I enjoyed seeing their lives after the events of everything! This also helped with my biggest issue of the OG game; world building. Things were filled out and plot holes fixed and overall, it was nice to be with the cast again!

Titan Arum

I'm not sure I would have found this game if I hadn't joined the Velox Fabula game jam, but I really enjoyed this! Ironically, I also read one of the main inspirations for this game (The King in Yellow) this year as well, so seeing it being referenced was really cool. If you've been here a while, you know horror otomes are some of my favorites and I'm glad to have another one to add to the list of otomes I love!

Intertwine

This was just a feel good game that had my whole heart. Van was a lovely character through all life times, and considering I played it during the Worst Part of the Year for me, it really helped get my mind off things! I also will never shut up about the GUI in this game, it's so beautifully designed and some of the best I've seen in a VN!

Jack Jeanne

Is anyone surprised by my number one lol I was yelling about it for the entire month of July, and it was my most played Switch game of 2023 as well! The characters were fully realized and didn't just feel like the usual archetypes, the art was beautiful, the stories were wonderful (including the stories of the plays), and the music slapped. This game was truly the It Game of the genre this year and for good reason! Kisa is also one of my new favorite protags, she was fantastic. I'm really glad we were able to get an English release for this!

#em recs #otome wrap up #otome recs #jack jeanne #norn9 #norn 9 #intertwine vn #titan arum

[lovebirdgames]

New blog post on some of our favorite otome games! And what do you know, quite a few are on sale at the moment!

#otome #otome recs #otome games #blog post

[gongonstudio]

Hello, it's Tami here!~ 🌸

Here's another sprite of our dear protagonist, Aiya Yoshida!

She's ready to go out and sing karaoke with her friends!

What do you think of her look? 🌸

#eye can see you #gongon studio #indie horror game #indie otome #indie horror #indie games #english otome #otome game #visual novel #illustration #artists on tumblr #interactive fiction #dating sim #amare #amare game #cute #otome romance #romance game #otome recs

[mekorausada]

Blooming Panic: Full Bloom Edition Game Review

Spoilers Ahead

May I present to you Mystic Messenger's less overwhelming counterpart.

Blooming panic was something I played a few months ago while searching for something new and refreshing to play and it really did the trick Blooming panic has

Amazing art

Beautiful Voice Acting

Great Story

Interesting and Lovable characters (Both the romancable and the non-romancable ones)

Realistic Dialogue that I would see in an actual server (And fandom) from actual people.

Blooming Panic (Or Bloomic) has sort of the same hook as MM, you are a fan of a webcomic called Blooming Panic and one day you mysteriously recieve an invite to a server for fans of the webcomic.

Bloomic doesn't really focus on how you got the invite, why links to the server keep getting deleted and such until NakedToaser's route and its really a breath of fresh air from lore-heavy, confusing stories. Bloomic doesn't shine in its great stories in my opinion, it shines in its characters and their interactions with one another. When you play, it truly feels like you're in a fan server. The way they fangirl/fanboy over fanarts, Ship wars, some of the members being more devoted to Bloomic and others. Plus the way they respond is realistic.

So I've talked too long about the dialogue and not the characters, it is an otome game after all. There are a total of 11 characters who appear and 9 are active characters who appear and interact with you in every route and 4 are romancable. Each of the characters have very diverse personalities and play different roles in each route, I'm not gonna go over them all but I am going to be going over the lis and their routes.

The first is a menace to society, a lurker in the shadows ready to pounce you with a funny quip.. this is no other than our resident troll.. xyx. Holy shit did xyx remind me of so many people I know, hes got the same attitude, everyone treats him and his jokes the same way and he has the same dilemma. xyx was the first route I did and honestly, it was a bit over the place, I think his main conflict is his cat and his injury? but he had alot of stuff. Buut, very enjoyable. The voice actor(Mike Young) is absolutely wow (kudos to him for doing the tongue twisters lol). Overall 8/10 maybe?

Our next guy is a little jealous, a college student, has a bit of a habit of staying up, blonde, 5'7 and a cutie <3

Ah.. wait a minute.

There he is.. may I present to you, Night Owl. Nightowl is a bit overwhelming ngl. Honestly he scared me quite a bit, he is very loveable but he can get really expressive and it can become suffocating to stay, especially in the videocall where he gets drunk before his exam. Still, his story was very interesting and had me glued more than xyx's did. btw still waiting for that onion videocall, please onion route robobarbie

The next guy is buff and tired dad of the server, no other than Quest. Ngl Quest isn't really my type so I wasn't really excited to play his route but it was very sweet. One thing I have to say though, fuck societyboy, all my homies hate societyboy. Fr saw the joker movie and decided the joker was his idol smh. I ended up swooning over Quest though, hes the perfect mix of promising he'll bring you home by 9 and your daughter calls me daddy. very nice...

Last boy is Nakedtoaster, don't let his name fool you.. he is.. very serious. This is the last route you'll play and it will finally address the suspicious part about all of this. This is way more serious than the others routes than a we can get over this together! type of thing.. well it sort of still is like that. The reveal of who the author of Bloomic is also here lol, much more lore focused than the other ones, I was sort of tired doing his route and I just used the max speed option alot. Nakedtoaster's good ending is VERY satisfying though, seeing everyone come back and all. It felt so relieving.

So conclusion, definitely recommend Blooming Panic, its on itch.io so go download it and swoon.

10/10 voice acting, 8/10 story, 10/10 art, 9/10 characters and 9/10 script.

#game review #review #blooming panic #bloomic #blooming panic xyx #blooming panic quest #blooming panic nightowl #blooming panic nakedtoaster #otome review #otome game #otome #blooming panic full bloom #otome recs

[kazumirambles]

Otome Games/Dating Sim Recs

Okay so I’m a person who prefers he/him or they/them pronouns, right? (Like excessive she/her kills me - idk if I’m a trans guy or genderfluid and leaning male but-)

But I like playing otome games and stuff like that but I can’t find many that have gender-neutral pronouns.

ive played Obey Me, Arcana (though struggling because so much stuff I need to pay to enjoy), and Twisted Wonderland (which is not technically a dating sim but I like the vibes).

i want to find a good otome/dating sim that is completely free to play (kinda like obey me, where you don’t really need that much money to get the full experience/unlock romantic routes/etc) and if they have voice actors, have them be Japanese or English (possibly Spanish, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet lmfao).

I prefer male love interests over female, so there’s also that-

it would also be great if the Mc wasn’t shown (like the three that I’m currently playing). And again, if they don’t use “she/her” pronouns much or at all, that would be great (nicknames are okay, like if the nicknames were used most of the time and pronouns were rarely used, even if the MC is thought of as a girl (like in Twisted Wonderland, where everyone calls MC “Prefect”))

and i play on my iPhone so nothing for computers and stuff please (if it’s a website it’s okay)

so like yeah I don’t know how many people this will reach but it is what it is

(sorry for the bad grammar/capitalization, I’m doing this late at night)

#otome game #otome romance #obey me #Similar to obey me #Similar to twisted wonderland #Similar to the arcana #Obey me #twisted wonderland #the arcana #otome recs #Dating sims #Dating sim #dating sim recs #Otome recs #Otome game recs #Otome game recommendations #Dating sim recomendations

[ystrike1]

Corrupted by the Mercenary King - By Okonogi happa (8/10)

What happens when you push kindness to the limit? Our protagonist princess always tries her best, but her family just sees her as a pretty body. An item to be bought and sold. A violent Mercenary King wants her, but her family thinks he's not rich enough. He invades the country, and she accepts his twisted love to escape her cruel life.

It hurts.

It hurts to do good and be rewarded with pain. Estelle is a caring princess in an uncaring, perverse castle.

Her parents literally tell her to dance in skimpy outfits for their guests.

Her own brother tells her she can "visit his room" if she wants to.

It's implied that she is a nurse/doctor and she helps people when she can, and this is her only escape from the perverts who own her future.

One of her many suitors, The Mercenary King, comes when she falls into a deep depression. She always cries alone in her room, alone in this world. Surrounded by people who see her as a womb for some future heir.

She falls deeper into despair. The King is insulted. He sent many generous proposals, but Estelle's greedy family wanted more.

He decided to invade. The people...Estelles only source of strength...burn in droves below her.

Dante is so excited to see her.

She doesn't remember him at all.

Its been so long, and she's been too depressed. He was once a boy who blushed at the sight of her.

The violence escalates quickly. Dante says he's here for her. Not her land or her money or some future heir.

He loves her.

He's super freaky and toxic about it.

He wants Estelle to know that he is the only one who loves her.

The proof is his body.

He went to war to increase his fame and power. To become someone who could conquer a castle.

He knows she is so desperate to be loved.

By someone, anyone, that doesn't just see her as the pretty princess everyone wants.

He proves it.

He kills the king and the queen and every rich guest they have ever hosted. All to prove he just came for Estelle. Only Estelle.

Her kindness melts away, and she decides to be selfish for once in her life.

Why not?

Kindness never got her the love she deserved.

#yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended #otome #Corrupted by the Mercenary King

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

this might be weird to ask on a writing blog but do you have any manga recs?

yeah i got some recs! i'm gonna assume you mean less talked about titles rather than more well-known but quickfire popular recs i have are: chainsaw man, fullmetal alchemist, jjba, fruits basket, jjk and hell's paradise. but onto my other recs:

seinen

children of the sea**: a troubled teen named ruka embarks on the summer adventure of a lifetime after meeting two boys raised by dugongs at her dad's aquarium in the middle of a mysterious event taking place in the ocean.

the summer hikaru died: it's been months since yoshiki's childhood friend and secret crush, hikaru, went missing in the mountains for a week. hikaru's the same as usual, with his jokes and silly rambles and yet, yoshiki can't shake the feeling that whoever came back from that mountain, it wasn't hikaru. much to his horror, it wasn't. but rather than face reality and grief, yoshiki decides to play along with "hikaru's" act (body horror)

dorohedoro**: in a world where there are humans and magic users, humans have it rough being virtually treated as second class citizens. day after day, year after year, magic users come to the human realm to experiment on them with their magic. and after having his head turn into a caiman, kaiman, wants to get it back in blood and have his true form restored (body horror)

witch hat atelier*: in a world full of magic and witches, it's always been normal human girl coco's dream to be one. but after accidentally discovering a truth of this world and her mom getting caught up in the spell, coco becomes an apprentice of witch qifrey. (it was recently announced there's an anime in the works!)

skip & loafer**: desiring to become a government official to revitalize her hometown in the japanese countryside, iwakura mitsumi's first step to accomplish this goal is by going to a uni prep high school in tokyo. she's got a foolproof 10-step plan to boot! but of course, life hardly ever goes as plan, not even for a prodigy (mc's aunt has great trans rep)

jousei

sign of affection*: as someone deaf all her life, yuki has dealt with discrimination in both small and broad strokes. nor has she ever experienced romance. this all changes when she meets backpacker itsumi, a guy who goes to the same uni. just as he opens her world, she opens his

debu to love to ayamachi to***: after waking up in a hospital with no memories to her name, plus sized yumeko is told she is there after surviving a suicide attempt. the thing is, yumeko isn't sure why when she's just so beautiful! with a strong desire to live life to the fullest, yumeko decides to do everything the past her was to afraid to do. all the while it is revealed that her suicide attempt was more of an attempted murder... but who could have wanted to kill her?

my love story with yamada-kun at lv999**: nothing is worse than getting cheated on especially after akane invested a lot of time and energy into her shitty ex's gaming hobbies. but through gaming, not only does akane find herself healing, she managed to get herself a pretty cool boyfriend too

NANA**: 2 women, 2 different lives, 1 name shared. komatsu nana is quick to fall in love and after a series of less-than-lucky relationships, she finally has someone she thinks is the one. abandoned by her mother and her ex leaving her band, osaki nana hasn't had the easiest life. but on the same night, on the same train, these two women meet and their lives become deeply intertwined

shoujo

a condition called love*: when it comes to romance, hotaru's never experienced it besides stories of her friends relationships. but she soon finds herself about to experience the whirlwind of a lifetime when hananoi, the most popular boy in school, asks her to be his girlfriend

a bouquet for an ugly girl***: as her class' resident big girl, hana isn't expecting a blossoming spring in her high school career. and she's okay with that. she has everything she needsー otome games and gardening. but after her class' pretty boy catches her in the midst of changing the class flowers, their lives become a bit more intertwined

uruwashi no yoi no tsuki: yoi is quite popular at her school because of her neat short hair, beautiful face and overall princely appearance. in fact, it's gotten her dubbed 'prince' many times. but when the other prince of the school finally meets her, cupid's arrow quickly knocks him on his ass

shounen

frieren**: a manga that picks up after the journey has ended. the demon king has been defeated and the heroes have saved the day after 10 years of traveling together. 10 years? that's not even a 10th of elf mage frieren's life. but as her companions begin dying one by one of old age, she finds herself desiring to learn more about humans and the short yet impactful lives they still manage to have

dungeon meshi*: when a dungeon raid goes terribly wrong and laios' sister gets swallowed by a dragon, those that remain in his party decide to get it back in blood by saving laios' sister before she gets digested. in the mean time, there's nothing wrong with gordon ramsay-ing miscellaneous ingredients found in the dungeon along the way, right?

and if you like manhwa or would be down for some manhwa recs these are titles i don't see getting recommended enough

concubine walkthrough: a scifi & philosophical spin on the otome isekai genre that asks 'what is reality truly?', 'is your life any less real if you found out all your experiences were a simulation?' and 'what is reality to you?' where protagonist lee yona finds herself stuck in a VR edition of a game she only played once

a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother: usually when someone wakes up in the body of a villainess, she's the same age as the protagonists. mildred, on the other hand, is stuck in the body of this story's cinderella's stepmother. with no husband and three daughters to take care of, there's only one thing she can really doー build up her daughters' sisterly bonds with one another and make sure they marry into good families (or that they can at least live lives they're happy with)

tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother: at least mildred got the body of an important character, daisy on the other hand? she's in the body of an NPC you never even see in the story. bright side? this is a story she helped write and after meeting the presently six year old protagonist's father, she and father of the year decide to team up for the ultimate mission: making sure his daughter never meets any of the love interests

inso's law: ham dan-i is in a bit of a pickle when she wakes up and her new school uniform is completely different than the one her mom bought weeks ago. there's a drop dead gorgeous girl next door who claims to be her childhood best friend. even worse, like something straight out of a drama, there are four heavenly kings that rule her school. by the end of the day, dan-i has no other choice but to accept the fact........ her real life has somehow turned into a web novel. even worse, she's a side characterー the main character's best friend

webtoons

plum: in a world where fruit stacking is a major sport, little plum decides to be the very best like no one ever was and moves to the big city to compete in the fruit stacking games along with making some friends and rivals along the way

webtoons that are probably popular enough if they have hardcover copies at my local bookstore but i wanna talk about it anyway

cursed princess club: as the youngest princess of the pastel kingdom, gwendolyn loves her family. her protective papa, her oldest sister maria who often awakes to woodland creatures doing her hair. her older sister lorena who makes flowers bloom with her every step. and her younger brother jamie who's so pretty, he sparkles. and they adore her just as much. but things come to a very reality shattering halt when their father introduces maria, lorena and gwen to blaine, lance and frederick, the princes of the plaid kingdom and gwen overhears frederick call her ugly, something she's never heard in her entire life. somehow, gwen finds comfort in a club full of cursed princesses (and one prince) who teach her how to start loving herself again

key

*) receiving an anime adaptation

**) has an an anime series or movie

***) receiving an anime adaptation & contains a story with a plus-sized protagonist that doesn't involve weight loss

#look she's answering #anon #manga recs #seinen #jousei #shoujo #manhwa #otome isekai #children of the sea #hikaru ga shinda natsu #dorohedoro #witch hat atelier #skip and loafer #debu to love to ayamachi to #NANA #uruwashi no yoi no tsuki #hananoi kun to koi no yamai #a bouquet for an ugly girl #concubine walkthrough #a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmother #tricked into becoming the heroine's stepmother #cursed princess club #plum

[ackee]

please recommend some visual novels. theyre my guilty pleasure and i love playing that shit

ALL I PLAY ARE OTOMES (FEMALE PROTAG DATING SIM) REALLY. but ill share all my faves

games i like that i played 10+ yrs ago

date warp -- girl goes on a date and never returns home. rly interesting story imo thats kinda batshit insane (affectionate). also probably the first vn i've ever played w/ a darker skinned protag (she's indian american)!

magical diary: horse hall -- magical school premise with a zillion endings. also one of the first vns i could be black in (has a character creator)

lucky rabbit reflex -- highschool romance game w/ a lot of minigames. has a lot of replayability!!

games i like that i played within the last 5 yrs

aloners -- post apoc game w/ one (black) love interest.. the writings so good imo. made me emotional!!

demonheart -- dark fantasy otome w/ the craziest beginning i swear.. fun game i can be a bitch in!

arcade spirits -- arcade romance!!

mystic destinies: serendipity of aeons -- I DONT REMEMBER THE STORY MUCH BUT I REMEMBER IT BEING CRAZY AND LOVING IT BADDD...

akash: path of five -- game abt elemental people!

games im playing RN!!!!

tri city monsters -- HOT HOT MONSTER MEN GOD IS GOOD

i havent played otomes in like.. a few yrs... i used to be so obsessed so im gonna try to get back into them this year 🫡

#visual novels #vns #otomes #askee #recs

[theclarityinmirrors]

#manga #manga cap #manga recs #manga recommendation #otome isekai #tragedy #my fiancé is in love with my little sister #this is not cliche for once #i just love this thing #web novel

[on-leatheredwings]

i await the day a visual novel grips me by the balls once more....

they say you must be the change you wish to see in the world i guess....

#if you ever have IF or vn recs im all ears #esp if theyre. gay/inclusive #sigh i tire of otomes #and the cishetery of it all. ^n^

[tomeitwas]

please play trouble comes twice by @foxglovegames it has:

hilarious twin dynamic

adorable cgs

adrian

everyone is bisexual

adrian

the MOST romantic route ever (jace and adrian)

best girl stephanie

literally such amazing bisexual rep

PLEASE JUST LOOK AT ADRIAN I LOVE HIM

#trouble comes twice #otome game #visual novel #fucking. please the minute i laid eyes on adrian he HAD to be mine #ive literally only played hazel x adrian jace x adrian and hazel x stephanie #but thats more than enough to rec. please play this game no one posts about it and its AHGVHGHGHG #also stephanie IS best girl i want to put her in my pocket #by the way. the last two routes i did today alone #play yhis game please or at least someone come YELL with me about it #thank u

[otomegamesandme]

Otome/Amare Games where you can get the girl

I'm finally making an official rec list of otome/amare games where there is one or more f/f route! This list is also only finished games. Had this on the back-burner for a while due to....life, but let's go!

Heart Fragment (Book 2) (Book 3;unreleased)

System: PC (steam + itch.io)

Price: Base game; free, Book 2; 2.99

Can you collect all of the fragments, solve the mysteries, and find your way to a happy ending? 

In this mysterious otome game, play as a protagonist (name customizable but "Xani" by default) struggling to cope with the hand life has dealt you. Your mother's death was a tragedy that left you cynical and numb to the world. Now, though, greater challenges are piling up fast - and it all begins when you find out you are not entirely human.

The disappearance of a friend. A sudden attack that leaves you wounded. Mysterious characters entering and leaving your life. Growing bonds. Coming to terms with what exactly "humanity" is...

Please. Find a happy ending. Don't let tragedy be the only option.

[Em note: This is...actually my favorite otome I've played this year and may have become my fav otome of all time. Book 2 just came out and idk, it's burrowed into my soul. I need more people to play this so we can all yell about it and theorize about what's going on.]

ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area

System: PC (steam + itch.io), XBox, Switch

Price: 14.99

Set in the Jercy City area, our cast of lovers trudge through the dregs of capitalism - a journey, a transition - a rite-of-passage that leads into uncertain mid-adulthood. On one side but not yet out on the other, 13 playable characters find romance amongst cosplay, trash mixtapes, and even poetry straight from the soul.

With over 30 routes to choose from and hours of content, the lives of these singles are in your good (or bad!) decision-making hands.

Pitstop in Purgatory

System: PC (steam + itch.io)

Price: 4.99

Dang, you're dead!

Astrid wakes up in Purgatory and has to make peace with her death. Only problem is… she doesn't remember anything! Point and click your way through adventure-based gameplay mixed with visual novel storytelling, and solve the mystery of our heroine's untimely demise.

[Em Note: Has some point-and-click puzzles, if that's your kind of thing!]

Lake of Voices

System: PC (itch.io)

Price: Free

Anyone can be saved, but not everyone can be.

Kikka the Steadfast is a sensitive and empathetic woman who uses a mask of stoicism to protect herself from the harsh world she lives in. Much of everything she’s done has been an attempt to find some semblance of security, including the career path she chose to pursue. Kikka works as an official guard for one of the many tiny villages in the region. Her most recent assignment is to travel with fellow guard Bemelle to an allied town that’s been under siege by raiders.

With an ever-present sense of urgency, the two find themselves on the shore of Sinnlos, a cursed lake of black water that is home to the Nixi; twisted creatures who take joy in drowning humans. The two need the assistance of a nameless guide to even attempt to cross the maze of bridges spanning the dark waters. But they are not the only ones seeking passage that night. The guide agrees to lead them all, whilst also giving a warning that a group this large has no chance of making it across whole. Someone will be lost along the way. None of them volunteer to stay behind, regardless. And so the ill-fated journey over the lake of voices begins.

[Em Note: By everyone's beloved GB Patch (maker of Our Life). I really like their previous games, not just this one, and I always recommend people play them, even if they are all a bit different then OL.]

Witches x Warlocks

System: PC (itch.io + Steam)

Price: Base Game: Free; DLC; 5.99

Seven days until Halloween!

Seven days until the final exams!

Seven days until Fay Nightshade gets booted out of school for being the only witch unable to cast a single spell.

Take control of Fay and help them cram a semester's worth of studying in the last week before the exams!

How many spells can you learn? And will you manage to find Fay a date for the Halloween festivities afterwards?

The Women of Xal

System: PC (itch.io + steam)

Price: 19.99

The Power of Foresight is On Your Side

You wake up in the universe of Xal alongside Xjena. She came to climb up the dangerous political ladder against other women eying the same, powerful position of Matriarch. But unbeknownst to the world, you two have the power of foresight, and can predict the happenings of the world around you. Help those who need it immediately, or focus on the future and potentially help a wider range of people. The path is yours to walk. Or chuck her into a tragic death run. Players gonna play.

#otome #indie otome #otome recs #em recs #f/f #wlw #amare game #feel free to add any more these are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head!

[ikem3n]

the other day i finished liam’s route and i felt like i fell down a hill when reading the nsfw scenes. girl who plays an otome game w nsfw content for the first time

#KYAAAAAAAAAAAA #ikemen villains #liam evans #this is why i have kind of avoided otome games like that bc i knew i was gonna go crazy #if anyone else have recs w more otomes like this please let me know 😭👍 #all i had back then was seven’s can i be selfish and leave a mark on you (or smthing) scene from mystic messenger… sigh

[mekorausada]

Im backkk, will go back to playing otome again and making posts.

Plzz drop some recommended otomes for pc (can be free or with payment)

tenchu<3

#game review #otome #otome game #review #otome recs

[zoobus]

I’m in love with bloodthirsty sapphics (preferably w/ traumatic backstories) who WIN! Can you share some recs, pretty please? Any media is fine; can be subtextual/based on vibes. I consider not dying/ending worse off as winning, yeah.... Examples: Homura Akemi (rebellion), Hideko (handmaiden), Lady Eboshi, Doona (sadistic beauty), Kirika & Mireille, Hild (vinland saga).

Black & White - these two women are so weird. Like this is good and I like it but their relationship is violent sex. I am not saying this is sexual violence, I'm saying they annoy each other until someone starts throwing fists. Then they hatefuck. This happens frequently. I recommend this. Official release in October.

Her Tale of Shim Cheong - Unfortunately no longer available on tappytoons. I know you said you want them winning, and they do but their wins are hard won, fought for inch by inch. This is an incredible story about systematic sexism. Systematic oppression is hard to write. Internalized bigotry is hard to write without sounding childish. Characters who are complicit and supportive of their own oppression are hard to write. Tale of Shim Cheong does it all, easy.

These girls are barely treading water in a society that thoroughly despises them and eventually it's time to say fuck society and fuck anyone who tries to come for my girl.

The Villainess and the Woman Who Would Do Anything For Love - Full disclosure, I liked this so much I translated several chapters, though I burned out after a weirdly aggressive fan tried to manage me like an employee. It looks like someone completed it though, so check it out!! Inescapable death loops and empty sacrifice! It's short and good.

The Antagonist's Pet - I waffled on recommending this one because this is either editorial meddling or flat out queerbaiting. The way Sasha (MC) interacts with other girls is gay. She's mocked by men for her overly intimate behavior with women. Her role is insinuated as that of a prostitute for aristocratic women. She is crawling into laps and snuggling up with *women.* Hell, the official translation made its header pic MC and Rebecca in an endgame couple post. Seriously, I was waiting for Sasha to say she worked at a lesbian hostess bar before she died.

The first time I read this, I was mad as hell about the love triangle between Arth and Rebecca because of course Arth will win, he's a man. But on second read? Poly. It's so obviously a mutually supportive Sasha-centered poly relationship. Of course that doesn't happen in the end but there was enough sweet scenes between the three of them that I can ignore the forced unrequited end.

I spent too much time convincing you this is gay instead of on the other thing, yes Rebecca is a bloodythirsty sapphic, and for once we get a quasi realistic look at a villainess overcoming fate. Too many of these end up over girlpowering characters, so it's satisfying when they're forced to acknowledge unsurmountable walls. That's half of why she's out for blood, imagine realizing you have natural talent in a sport that intrigues you, something you could have easily been a top contender in, better than the men even...had you not been coerced into wasting your youth on serving an ungrateful little loser of a king.

Also Lilith isn't gay but I think you will like her a lot.

#niche effortposts #recommendations #otome isekai #manga #manga recs #i gave the Antagonist's Pet the longest review because it's the most relevant to your interests imo even without confirmed yuri end #The Villainess and the Woman Who Would Do Anything For Love #The Antagonist's Pet #Tale of Shim Cheong #Black & White by Sal Jiang #yuri

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How to Tame the Merciless Villain - By Peroche (8.5/10)

A submissive, crazy, powerful magician slave plot done right? Is that even possible? They actually start as tentative friends and he falls for her first? AND the Duchess protagonist isn't an insufferable pervert or an idiot? This one is too good to be true.

I kept waiting for a disappointing plot twist, but it has not come yet.

Olivia woke up as the daughter of a Duke 4 years ago, and she's been searching for the main villain for 2. She's been visiting every slave auction, waiting for him to go up for sale. He's one of the most beautiful slaves on the market, so she cannot relax for a day or she will miss the chance to save him.

The villain is named Kian, and he has a very tragic backstory. He was born with incredible latent magical power, but nobody cared. He was born a slave, so the noble class treated him like one. His pretty face didn't help. When his powers suddenly manifested (when an old master attempted to do S&M knife play) he felt wronged. Cheated out of the wonderful life he should have had. He was BORN talented, but all that mattered was his slave status.

The story does a good job with showing his downfall. Originally, he was just a hard worker. A slave willing to work like a dog to survive. He did not have a violent bone in his body. The constant sexual abuse he experienced is what pushed him over the edge.

He had many masters. Which means that, despite his beauty, the wealthy women who owned him always grew bored of him. They passed him around like he was a literal living sex toy.

Worst of all....he had to perform well. This contributed to his breakdown more than anything. He was super submissive and generous to his masters in bed, and still he never got a crumb. Not even a good meal really. He got his own basement room, but it didn’t have a door. He sacrificed every shred of pride in his body, just to live...and then he found out he was special. So special that if he had been born anything but a slave he would have become famous and respected.

I'd snap too.

The original Olivia was your average noble woman. She had fake friends. She was snotty but not abusive. Her family and her maids liked her, but her role was to marry the prince.

The new version of Olivia breaks up with the Prince after she buys Kian. This sets up suspicion across the country. The Crown Prince himself has been abandoned for a beautiful slave. It's a scandal, but Olivia has a plan. She is currently in charge of her family, as her father is ill. She does not love the Prince, and she knows he's secretly a selfish coward.

She wants to pour all of her time and energy into sponsoring Kian. Which will slightly elevate him out of his status as a slave. She must ensure that Kian has decent control over his magic when it awakens in him. He's on the level of a natural disaster. Training him well will basically save the nation.

Olivia is doing her best, but the people around her think she's gone nuts. Sponsoring some nobody slave? That she just met? It is a little fast, but remember. Olivia is on a time crunch. It took two years for her to find this man. She must calm him and tame him FAST. If he discovers his strength when he's still bitter at the world well...heads will roll.

Luckily, Olivia is so distracted by all of her responsibilities that it's impossible for Kian to deny her sincerity. He stops trying to undress for her pretty quick, because she genuinely seems uninterested.

Sure, she thinks he's pretty. BUT she's running the entire Ashford estate AND she just broke up with her powerful fiance. There's no real time to flirt. Instead Kian begins to admire Olivia.

She also saves him from a jealous and sadistic servant who thinks they're lovers. That was a nice touch. It made her look even cooler.

Olivia tried very hard, but the power of envy is amazing. One of Olivia's enemies sends an assassin. It's after a happy night. Kian has his sponsored status lined up. He's learning how to use magic. Olivia even attended a party with him. Their scandalous story has become inspiration for a famous artist, who painted Kian. People are interested in him, instead out outright abusive. Olivia's plan is unfolding perfectly. Kian will be a respected young magician before his true strength manifests.....

.....then the assassin comes before he's strong enough.

Olivia gets stabbed.

Kian starts screaming about how he wants to go home, with her. He carries her back. The earth splits. Blue fire swallows the assassin, and we see how much his admiration has grown. He doesn't just admire his hardworking master.

He's obsessed with her.

#yandere #male yandere #yandere male #yandere boy #recommendations #recs #rec #recommended #webtoon #otome #otome isekai #How to Tame the Merciless Villain