Otome Games

So I just played Butterfly Soup by Brianna Lei-

Took me a while to get to it, it looked a bit meh on first glance, but I gave it a bash when it hit the top of the itch listing.

Lesbian only, revolving MC.

This is easily one of the most amazing games I’ve played in a long time.

Dating sims are an opportunity to talk about things people experience in relationships, and the problems- but this is often taboo, due to a target market increasingly afraid of making their problems heard, for fear of hurting others.

While I understand that sentiment, I honestly believe that talking about it and increasing awareness is far more helpful than ignoring it all.

There are multiple issues addressed in this game- racism, lesbian stereotypes, homophobia, self-identity, and feminine stereotypes. And it’s handled beautifully.

The characters are all unique, and boast a largely non-caucasian cast (but still multiple races), which is a breath of fresh air, due to the ‘tokenism’ found in the average dating sim of today, and the humor is epic. (Period jokes. Harry Potter references. Hell, there was a Baccano reference!)

The issues are real, the romance isn’t forced, the personalities are adorable, and the plot isn’t a generic twee ‘we can’t be together, all these people are fighting it’. No, it’s about friendship, people appreciating one another, and childhood love.

And it’s bloody adorable.

Will be some trigger warnings though- racism, homophobia (not from main cast), and domestic abuse.

Nothing too hectic, but enough to make you really get where everyone is coming from. All the characters have problems, and they all make sense contextually, yet all the characters are good people, regardless.

I feel that this is a real stepping stone for the genre, as it shows we can talk about scary, hurtful topics in a sensitive manner, while it is still tasteful, and meaningful.

Even if you aren’t into yuri, (and it’s not hardcore at all), give this a go for the story. It doesn’t have to be about you being a girl who is into girls. It’s about your friends, and their problems. And they care about you too. :slight_smile:

9/10 (would have loved more CGs, and character establishment beyond the background of Diya and Min)

In other news, checking out Dream Saviour Gakuem- ReDraw.

GxB/ BxB

If I like it, I’ll type something up. :slight_smile:

Hope everyone is having a great day!

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