In Order To Reach The Pearly Gates Of Heaven, You Need To Read More Yuri

The Key Illustration of Cupid Parasite Official Visual Fanbook, ILY My Darling

The official new key illustration by Cupid Parasite artist, Yuuya, for the official Fanbook, ILY My Darling

2025 white day series!

from cotori, on twitter! featuring the guys (and raqio) with flowers to give you! sources under the cut 🌸

remnan: https://x.com/cotoriGlobule/status/1900489336774377612

raqio: https://x.com/cotoriGlobule/status/1900489414436163943

jonas: https://x.com/cotoriGlobule/status/1900489496338325959

sha-ming: https://x.com/cotoriGlobule/status/1900489251328037010

genre subversions of dating sims by people who don't understand dating sims are just like. "wow isn't it so pathetic that you're playing this instead of getting a real relationship?" (i don't know where "dating sim that becomes a horror game" goes on the subversion scale)

meanwhile i haven't seen one that is made by someone who loves the genre. i am worried that my "what if the love interests hated being in the game but it's because the script is too restrictive" is too mean to dating sims. i swear using a dating sim script as a metaphor for being forced into certain kinds of femininity is NOT reflective of my views of dating sims it's FINE to play dating sims--

Yeah, I agree~ I would say that the "secretly a horror game" twist kinda depends on the game and how it treats its characters. Like, Hatoful Boyfriend has a neat twist to it while still feeling like it treats its characters and story with love, so I was honestly a little surprised to find out its creator doesn't play otome at all. I haven't play DDLC personally, but I've heard a similar sort of story about its creator I think? I feel like so many people set out to subvert the dating sim genre specifically because they think of it as a joke or because they think it's so easy to replicate without any experience.

I love genre subversions, so I would love to see a good one in the otome genre. BUT~ In response to your other point, I also think that being critical of a genre you like and/or using that genre to make a critique of something like societal standards for femininity & such doesn't necessarily come across as hateful to the genre. In fact, I think that really good genre subversions DO use the genre conventions to make a critique of something (whether it's a critique of society or of the genre itself) because that's what makes the subversion interesting.

I'm gonna use one of my favorite genre subversions as an example real quick: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals is a great twist on the genre conventions that exist in musical theatre as a medium, and it uses its subversion to make a critique about conformity through its main metaphor (ie: an alien hivemind makes people sing and dance and the show's hero is the one guy who hates musicals). It's a great horror-comedy that's clearly made by people who love musicals, even if its protagonist hates them and there are important plot reasons for why you really don't want your favorite characters to be singing.

BUT!! The important thing is that while it subverts expectations for what you'd expect from a musical and uses the songs & hivemind as a metaphor for enforced conformity, the show never makes the audience feel stupid for liking the genre. It's campy, and it's silly, and the main character is the voice of dissent, but it doesn't leave you with a feeling that the genre as a whole is stupid or bad, or that you're stupid for liking it. Because it's made out of love for the genre. Which is the main thing I think.

It's really important for these types of stories to critique the right things. There has to be more thought put into it than just "look at this genre, isn't it weird/stupid/bad? well we're gonna change things and be Not-Like-Those-Other-Things because we're the Cool/Edgy/Ironic Take on this genre!!" (ie: don't critique the audience or make them feel bad for enjoying the genre you chose. or do, but do it consciously and know that your audience is primarily going to be other people who dislike the genre -- which is probably why so many gag dating sims are popular since it's pretty common to look down on the genre). What I mean is, if the whole point of the critique is that the original genre is stupid, it's probably a bad and thoughtless critique.

But anywho, I think your critique is totally fine and really cool actually. It's okay to be mean to a genre you like as a form of critique, and I think it's really good actually to think deeper about the stories you love and consider them critically. The problems with genre subversion come up when people who don't really know or like the genre decide to subvert it just because they think poorly of it, y'know?

Otome Game Jam is back again!

Otome Jam & Josei Jam are returning this May! 💜

Join us from May 1st to June 30th for Otome Jam & Josei Jam, two visual novel-oriented game jams about making games for women.

Otome Jam gives you 2 months to make a romance game with a female lead (gender can be chooseable) and at least a partially male cast to date. Josei Jam gives you 2 months to make a game meant for women, regardless of romance or character genders.

General rules:

no specific themes for either - this year our banner was community-voted to be cyberpunk themed, but you can make an entry with any kind of aesthetics and themeing!

18+ content allowed

previously started games and brand new games are okay, but games finished before the jams start aren't allowed

visual novels and hybrid games allowed

These two jams are sister jams and run concurrently. New developers are welcome! We have a guide for new developers with lots of resources for making games.

Check out the itch.io pages above for more info.

the saying "til death do us apart" does not apply to these two

genuinely "the best starter VN is the one you're the most interested in" is the best advice there is on the topic. like i even recommend checking out indie OELVNs on itchio and stuff to look for specific niches of subject matter you're into if you just want to see how you vibe with the medium, you don't have to start with the classics if they don't appeal to you and if you DO want to get into the ones that are big in western otakudom it's still a good idea to start with one that's in step with your existing fiction interests

genuinely the only things i'd actively advise against for starter VNs if you're actually interested in getting into the medium for real are "parodies"/"subversions" made out of contempt for "dating sims", if nothing else please start with something earnest and true

friendships end. relationships end. fictional man whos doing even worse than you is forever

Watchman of death my ass he’s French!