Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs First Impressions

“Women have more power? I recognize this world… This is the world of that otome game.”

It’s not uncommon for me to start writing a review, and then decide midway to toss it aside because I don’t have anything interesting to say about the work in question. What’s more uncommon is for me to pick it up again, and start from scratch. Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs, or Otomegē Sekai wa Mobu ni Kibishii Sekai Desu, is the type of isekai with a mildly unassuming introduction, but a terrible premise. The dilemma becomes a question of how much can one judge a show based on its premise when so little of it has been explored so far? Maybe the show will turn its premise on its head, and the plot won’t be nearly as sexist as it sounds, but fortunately, I think much of the quandary can be sidestepped. I’m going to say the premise sounds like it might become toxic moving forward, but I will focus my attention primarily on what happens in this first episode, and this first episode isn’t good. Trapped in a Dating Sim looks like it’s going to be mediocre as it struggles to blend an unpleasant premise with thoroughly milquetoast execution.

The problem I have with Trapped in a Dating Sim’s premise is that it is set in a world where men are second class citizens and women are in control, which… I suppose if approached seriously, could incite an interesting discussion of the downsides of both patriarchal and matriarchal approaches to governance as both theoretically involve an enforced power discrepancy, but that doesn’t look like the direction this show is going in. There are only two female characters in this premiere. The first is a mildly bratty sister who blackmails her brother, our main character, into 100%-ing an otome game for her, and the latter is his father’s noble wife who serves as a cartoonish antagonist once he is reincarnated. The show will hopefully introduce more nuanced characters as it goes on, but combined with more trying elements of its setting, this first episode really just feels like an excuse to have a put-upon protagonist show some stuck-up women who’s boss. I could be misreading the whole situation, but the problem is, if you ignore those implications, there isn’t much left to analyze. Our lead, Leon Fou Bartfort, is a bit insufferable. Sure, he’s hardly the worst isekai protagonist, and on a completely unrelated note, no, I’m not planning on doing a first impressions review of season 2 of Shield Hero, but he’s arrogant and prone to complaining about the world he now inhabits. As I mentioned previously, back when he was in our world, Leon’s sister forced him to fully complete an otome game for her, and he died immediately after finishing it. Now, as he grows up in the world of the game as a random background NPC, he tries to employ his knowledge of the world to avoid the various pitfalls he runs into, such as being married off to a 50-year-old noblewoman whose husbands have an odd habit of dying off. None of this feels original, as we’ve had a host of isekai protagonists taking on the role of villains or trying to use their knowledge of the world’s walkthrough to get ahead. We’ve even had such a concept blended with the otome genre with HameFura. So, if Trapped in a Dating Sim doesn’t have any new ideas, and it doesn’t have a compelling presentation, what does it have going for it?

The answer to that question is not, “spectacular animation.” The show looks fine, but it’s on the low end of quality. This is from ENGI, a studio that is still something of a newcomer, but has had some notable titles including Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! and The Detective is Already Dead. I could have sworn I partially watched the first episode of their series Full Dive, but if I’m remembering correctly, I got annoyed with the fan service and decided against finishing it. This makes Trapped in a Dating Sim’s premiere the first episode from this studio that I’ve finished, and it isn’t the best first impression. Though, given the studio is taking on a new season of Kantai Collection later this year as well as a sequel to Uzaki-chan, it may well be that they’ve decided to devote more of their resources towards the already established properties. And, yes, I completely forgot that Kantai Collection, the “What if battleships were cute girls?” anime, was a thing. Going back to the show at hand, despite being listed as a comedy Trapped in a Dating Sim plays most of its premise straight, which, if you’re not going to present the situation with nuance and a deft hand, it seems like you’d probably want to steer into the comedy. Instead, the one recurring gag, if you can call it that, is that Leon absolutely hated the otome game his world is based on, and will rag on its moronic history, silly power systems, and nonsensical environments. Pointing out the problems with your own story rarely works as a joke, and the delivery doesn’t do it any favors here.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I know I didn’t list Leon’s mother in the group of female characters, but I’m not entirely sure I remember her saying or doing anything in this episode.
• I like the music for the OP which makes it all the more perplexing that I completely forgot that this first episode had one. Admittedly, the visuals are nothing to write home about and even look a little janky at points, but that still doesn’t explain it. I must have spent so much time organizing my thoughts about this premiere that my memory of the OP just slipped through the cracks.
• Depending on how the season goes, I may follow one of the bad or mediocre shows to see if they get better, but I’m not quite sure if I’m more likely to follow up on Love All Play or Trapped in a Dating Sim.