Hello bubs!! Work has been unruly, but I finally have things under control (I think). I am now officially a million years behind with otome news, and I miss you all terribly! This one’s a round-up post focusing on unlocalised Japanese titles. Get cosy ’cause I have lots to cover!
Jump to:
Otomate news:
Trouble Magia | Moeyo! Otome Doushi | My9Swallows | Honey Vibes | OVER REQUIEMZ | Suuran Digit | Virche FD
Non Otomate news:
Otomate news
Otomate’s pumping out titles again this year – here are a few more games with confirmed release dates thus far, plus other noteworthy news.
Trouble Magia ~Wakeari Shoujo wa Mirai o Kachitoru Tame ni Ikoku no Mahou Gakkou e Ryuugaku Shimasu~
We now have a release date for Trouble Magia! The game will be out on September 12, 2024.
Trouble Magia follows the story of Lucia, who decides to study abroad at a prestigious magic school with one goal in mind: to break the curse that causes her to suddenly transform into animal.
Natsuno Akira is in charge of the scenario writing. She is known for her work on Shiro to Kuro no Alice -Twilight Line- and contributions to TsuiTsui, Zettai Kaikyuu Gakuen, and Ken ga Kimi.
The director of the game is Haruse Akira, and the character designer is Suzunosuke.
The cast for the main characters include include Maeno Tomoaki, Okitsu Kazuyuki, Abe Atsushi, Uemura Yuuto, and Oosaka Ryota.
You can read the game synopsis below, taken form vndb
Girl meets boy in this adolescent tale of magic. Your year to seize the future is about to begin! In search of clues to break the curse that causes her to abruptly transform into an animal, the protagonist decides to study abroad at the Reveal Academy of Magic. Will she be able to break the curse while dealing with all sorts of trouble?
Honestly I did not have my eyes on this game, until they announced that Maeno and Okitsu will be voicing. But you know what? I became quite fond of school otome because of Katakoi Contrast (thanks Luli for the recs), and the art is also super cute – so I will give this one a go at some point!
Pre-order Trouble Magia:
*Check their official website for shop-specific bonus details (int’l buyers will need to use proxy).
Moeyo! Otome Doushi ~Kayu Koigatari~
Another game with confirmed date is Moeyo! Otome Doushi. The game will be released on September 26, 2024.
Moeyo! Otome Doushi follows the story of Shunlin, an apprentice Taoist who is currently seeking a lover. She somehow ends up being tasked to protect the country.
The scenario writer for this game is Sasaki Maro, with previous work including Cendrillon palikA and Yuukyu no Tierblade. The character designer is Nekoi Ayu.
The voice actor casts are Chiaki Kobayashi, Sakata Shougo, Shimazaki Nobunaga, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu and Ura Kazuki.
Read the game synopsis below, taken from vndb.
Shunrin, a girl living as an apprentice Doushi in Kayu, a country where martial arts are popular, is excited because this year the Brave Martial Arts Tournament will be held to determine the strongest man in the country.
However, on the day of the tournament, assailants appear at the venue and begin attacking the people.
The semi-finalists of this tournament join forces and somehow manage to bring the situation under control…
But this is just the beginning.
Despite clashing with and betraying their allies, they will protect their loved ones and their pride, and she will fight for the man she loves!
What will their fate and the future of their country hold?
Pre-order Moeyo! Otome Doushi:
*Check their official website for shop-specific bonus details (int’l buyers will need to use proxy).
My9Swallows TOPSTARS LEAGUE
My9Swallows TOPSTARS League will be released on August 29, 2024! This game is a collaboration between Tokyo Yakult Swallows (a Japanese baseball team) and Otomate.
A new professional baseball league is launched, and a team is formed with the rookies who passed the auditions for the Yakult team, aiming for the league championship. The catch is, they also have to do idol gigs!
The game depicts the romantic relationships between the protagonist, who is entrusted with leading the team, and the players/idols.
Otomate has also revealed the game’s opening movie in Otomate Connect’s premiere two weeks ago. The opening song is sung by the game’s main cast (including Komatsu Shouhei, Horie Shun, Kasama Jun, Hatano Wataru, Hirose Daisuke, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu, Shimakura Gaiha, Yashiro Taku and Kumagai Kentarou).
Watch the opening movie below.
Pre-order My9Swallows TOPSTARS LEAGUE:
Int’l – CDJapan
*Check their official website for shop-specific bonus details (int’l buyers will need to use proxy).
Honey Vibes
Honey Vibes is set to release on October 3, 2024! It is an isekai x adventure otome game.
The story follows Nagisa, who have wandered into a tropical paradise inhabited by “passionate beasts” overflowing with “desire and passion.” The game’s selling point is the combination of kemomimi x suits x three factions.
Read the game synopsis below, translated from the official website.
The protagonist, Amano Nagisa, rescues an injured animal she finds on the road one day.
When she brings it home and checks on it, the wounds have already healed. Wondering at this mystery, she opens the door to her room and discovers that it has transformed into a passage to an unfamiliar, tropical world.
The protagonist, who has stumbled into the world of beings who call themselves “therianthropes,” is drawn into their “game” as an “important piece.”
This is a sweet, passionate southern land that will melt your heart. In a place inhabited by beasts overflowing with dangerous desire and passion, your love game begins.
They, the therianthropes, will take “reason” from you, and you will take “desire” from them.
As you both grow closer, your love story unfolds amidst reason and desire.
They also announced the cast for the game during Otomate Connect!
Elijah
✤ CV: Kimura Ryouhei
Alvin
✤ CV: Umehara Yuuichirou
Finn
✤ CV: Azakami Youhei
Eno
✤ CV: Yashiro Taku
Milo
✤ CV: Okamoto Nobuhiko
Theo
✤ CV: Saitou Souma
Pre-order Honey Vibes:
*Check their official website for shop-specific bonus details (int’l buyers will need to use proxy).
OVER REQUIEMZ
Another Otomate Connect news! They revealed the character design for OVER REQUIEMZ during the broadcast.
OVER REQUIEMZ is a dark fantasy otome game by Otomate in collaboration with Kogado Studio. The artist in charge of this game is Kazari Tayu, with previous work including Chronostacia.
Kogado Studio is a small Japanese video game developer and publisher. Their prior work include adventure, strategy, and bishoujo games, predominantly on PC and older consoles. You can find some of their games on Steam.
In this game, you will be isekai’ed into a monster-filled place called Oz and find yourself romancing… murderers. Yep.
Here are the male leads and their visuals.
Kaize = Ozma
Kingslayer
A demon-possessed prince with dark eyes
Claude = Grain
Village Murderer
A researcher enchanted by ruins
Noil = Bestia
Knight Murderer
A rough delinquent knight
Molly = Woodland
Traveller Murderer
A mysterious undertaker
Dorothy
Prisoner Watcher
The impolite Witch of the North
The character trailer has additional information about the game’s plot. I have translated them below or you can watch them here.
A tornado suddenly strikes Tokyo.
Where it leads you is the Land of Oz.
You, who have wandered into this place, are sentenced to death.
Along with these murderers,
to the mysterious structure called “the ruins,”
a place that looks like a Japanese building, infested with monsters,
you will go as part of your punishment.
You might find a way back if you go there.
Your journey with the murderers toward the end begins now.
Suuran Digit
I thought Otomate was done with Otomate Graffiti ports, but boy oh boy they are still at it! We have another Otomate classics to be ported to Nintendo Switch – Suuran Digit! The release date is yet to be confirmed.
Suuran Digit was originally released in 2016 for PS Vita. It is a drama x fantasy x slice-of-life otome game set in modern day Japan.
If you’re thinking the art looks familiar, it’s because the character designer is Melo, who also worked on Taisho x Alice and Gakuen Club!
You can read the synopsis below, taken from vndb.
The private Soyogi Academy.
The sons and daughters of the nine noble households- referred to as the “Suuke (Number Families)”- attend this school. Within the school, these students are treated as superiors by their peers.
They have a secret- in this school, there is a war that only they’re able to fight in.
It is called the “Suuransen (Number War)”.
Since the olden days, this periodically-fought war has been determining the rankings of the Suuke, as well as selecting a “Soyogi” who leads and controls the Suuke.
This war was thought to never take place again after one number broke away.
However, since the sudden re-emergence of “the number that should not exist”, the conditions for the Suuransen to be held have now been met…
“When the time comes in which the ten numbers assemble,
The carved seal shall guide you to the field of battle.”
Her name is Reisaki Hiroka.
She is the one who signals the beginning and the end.
Shuuen no Virche -epiC:Lycoris- fanbook
Virche fans, we’ve got more goodies on our way! The visual fanbook for Shuuen no Virche -epiC:Lycoris- will be released on July 1, 2024. The cover illustration was revealed for the first time on yesterday’s B’s-LOG release.
Pre-order Virche FD fanbook:
Int’l – CDJapan
Non-otomate news
Gakeppuchi Reijou wa Mukiryoku Akuma de Otome wo Sutetai
I don’t really cover R18 stuff but this one’s just come to my attention, so I have to include it! Gakeppuchi Reijou wa Mukiryoku Akuma de Otome wo Sutetai is an upcoming indie R18 otome game produced by Matsutake Ume.
Matsutake is a scenario writer and game creator who was behind popular R18 titles such as “Koezaru wa Akai Hana,” “Sai no Tenbin,” and “Ao no Shigyaku Midori no Higyaku.” You can follow them on Twitter/X here.
Here’s a bit more information about Gakeppuchi.
The heroine, a young lady from a count’s family, was in a panic about missing her chance to marry. To rebuild her nearly bankrupt household, she needed a wealthy spouse. However, the heroine, who was known to be a bit of a beauty snob, insisted, “If I’m going to marry, it has to be the most handsome Christopher!” and couldn’t bring herself to settle for anyone else.
But Christopher, her older childhood friend, always responded to her advances with a smile, never showing any change in expression. When the desperate heroine subtly pressured him for marriage, he responded with unexpected words:
“I’m not fond of virgins. But you are a virgin, aren’t you?”
In a situation where a normal lady would likely say “How awful!” and leave, the heroine had a flash of inspiration in a completely unexpected direction.
“If I lose my virginity, then will he marry me? And if he teaches me about the bedroom, I might get even closer to Christopher’s tastes!”
Resolute, the heroine didn’t turn to her friends or seek out a professional; instead, she seriously summoned a demon. “Apparently, it can grant two wishes, and it seems quite professional,” was her reasoning…
This is the slightly (?) outlandish story of a desperate noblewoman and an incredibly apathetic demon, and their painfully endearing days together.
You can visit the project site here. Watch the game PV below.
Utakata no Uchronia
Utakata no Uchronia saw major success, with 11,553 physical copies sold on debut and snatching no. 1 Famitsu ranking from Princess Peach: Showtime!.
The game will also receive new DLC. It will feature stories following each LI’s ending.
The developer has also announced that an official fanbook is confirmed to be in production.
Lastly, there are OST and drama CDs confirmed to be in production.
Broccoli held a seiyuu event for Utakata no Uchronia on April 28. You can read the event report on 4Gamer. My personal highlights are Eguchi Takuya (Yori’s VA) saying “Only I can change him” (about Yori) and Saitou Souma agreing and expressing his deep affection for Yori. There was a lot of discussion around Egu being as tall as Yori. I am an avid Yori fan, you see.
This one’s a bit of an old news, but I never got around to talking about it in my blog so here we are!
I am so truly sorry for my absence lately! I am a little upset that this will be my reality for the next few months because things are just so hectic at work. But I hope I won’t disappear too often! Thank you for all your support, for sticking with me and for interacting with me and/or my contents, they really do mean the world to me!
I want to use this space to share a bit of change I’ve decided to implement for my blog. In terms of news, I’ll do round-up type of coverage for unlocalised titles to ease the burden on myself, but I will continue with singular, dedicated news posts for localised titles especially if I get the information directly from the publisher. I am also ever so grateful to get more chances to review localised games and want to do a great job, so they will take priority. Generally, those contents go to TikTok as that’s where my audience seems to be the biggest, but I will also try to post written reviews and walkthroughs here. So that’s that!
Hope you are all doing well and stellar bubs. Truly, I have missed you all and I have missed just indulging in otome and talking about otome. I hope to see you again soon. xo
Hello! Thank you so much for all the information, it’s so useful 🙂 I had a question about the title Honey Vibes, right now it’s unlocalised, right? I hope in the future they could localise it (T.T) I have a N3-N2 japanese level, but I don’t know if it will be enough to enjoy the game 100% without problems (T.T)
You’re most welcome bub! Yes Honey Vibes is unlocalised atm, I think N3-N2 level would get you thru many games fairly comfortably but if it’s ok to play Honey Vibes… then we won’t know until it’s released I suppose 🥹
Thank you so much 🙂 I thought that with this japanese level I would have problems with kanji above all, but if you think I’m not gonna have any serious comprehension problem, I think I’m gonna give it a try in japanese 🙂 Thank you so much :)) <3