Otome, meaning "maiden" in Japanese, is a genre of video games that are targeted towards a young female audience. An otome game is a type of visual novel that tells the story of mostly a female protagonist and a group of men who she must capture the hearts and affection of. However, no matter how good the original otome game may be, there can sometimes be horrendous anime adaptions that fans cannot accept.
On the flip side, there are also a lot of otome game anime adaptions that do their games justice. Here are five of the best otome game adaptions and five others that made fans disappointed.
10 WORST: La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia (2012)
La Storia Della Arcana Famiglia, meaning The Story of the Arcane Family, was released by HuneX and Comfort for the PlayStation Portable on October 27, 2011. It follows the only daughter of an Arcana Famiglia boss named Felicità who bears the contract with The Lovers Arcana.
To decide which family gets the Arcana Duello, Felicità decides to fight to gain freedom by dueling, as well as creating romantic connections along the way. The anime compressed the story too much, a decision that did not sit well with fans.
9 BEST: Amnesia (2013)
Amnesia was released by Idea Factory for the PlayStation Portable on August 18, 2011. It follows an amnesiac young woman who loses her memories after an accident in August.
Together with the spirit Orion, who speaks for her throughout the game, she experiences each world; Heart, Spade, Clover, and Diamond, as well as builds a relationship with each man. Despite the negative backlash, the game's (and anime's) unique way of explaining the different worlds was quite clever.
8 WORST: Norn9 (2016)
Norn9 was released for the PlayStation Portable by Otomate and Idea Factory on May 30, 2013. After a genius elementary-schooler named Sorata Suzuhara is warped from the Heisei Era to 1919, he meets a group of people who are in a futuristic-like world.
It follows three heroines: Kohara, a pyrometric; Mikoto Kuga, a girl who can create barriers; and Nanami Shiranui, a kunoichi who has the ability to erase memories. However, because of how long the game is and how much content it contains, it was hard to do the story justice in a measly 12 episodes.
7 BEST: Ludere Deorum (2014)
Ludere Deorum, or known as Kamigami no Asobi, was developed by Nippon Ichi Software and Broccoli. It was released on the PlayStation Portable on October 24, 2013, and follows Yui Kusanagi, the daughter of a Shinto shrine.
After she discovers a sword and transported to another world, she meets the Greek god Zeus and is invited to attend a school where other Greek gods attend. The anime's focus on friendship over romance gave it a tipping point, and it remains one of the best otome game adaptions out there to watch.
6 WORST: Meiji Tokyo Renka (2019)
Meiji Tokyo Renka was released by Mages with illustrations by Karu. After a high school girl named Mei Ayazuki is transported to another world in the Meiji period, she can pursue romantic relationships with Japanese spirits as well as historical figures.
While the game is not a bad one at its core, the reception for this reverse harem's anime adaptation was lukewarm due to its hard-to-follow plot and average animation.
5 BEST: Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom (2010 - 2014)
Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom was released by Idea Factory for the PlayStation 2 on September 18, 2008. Since then, it has been ported to various consoles and systems, with the latest being released on the Nintendo Switch.
It follows Chizuru Yukimura, a young woman who arrives in Kyoto in search of her father. She then becomes entangled in the somber tale, as well as the romances she can obtain. Like the game, the anime is well worth giving a try.
4 WORST: Libra of Nil Admirari (2018)
Libra of Nil Admirari was released by Otomate for the PlayStation Vita on April 21, 2016. After Tsugumi Kuzu, the daughter of a noble family, learns that her younger brother took his life, she decides to join Fukurou to investigate his death.
Within the organization, she learns more about each character and even what is occurring around her and the cast. Although the anime looks quite good, the plot struggles to build up much momentum.
3 BEST: Code: Realize ~ Guardian Of Rebirth ~ (2017)
Code: Realize ~ Guardian Of Rebirth ~ was released by Otomate on November 27, 2014. The story centers on a young girl with a poisonous body, Cardia Beckford, whose dearest wish is to be able to touch others.
After she is stolen away by famed gentlemen thief Arsène Lupin and asks him to grant her wish, she becomes aquatinted with other literary figures and even becomes entangled in various dangerous plots, such as with the terrorist group Twilight.
2 WORST: Diabolik Lovers (2013)
Diabolik Lovers is unique in that it was originally a Drama CD series that gained an otome game adaption for the PlayStation Portable on October 12, 2012 before it exploded in popularity, garnering the series multiple sequels. It follows the story of Yui Komori, a faithful young girl who becomes entangled with a group of six sadistic vampires.
As the series went on, more vampires were introduced. The big letdown with this anime series is how short the episodes were, and how they dumbed down the protagonist.
1 BEST: Uta no☆Prince-Sama♪ (2011 - PRESENT)
Uta no☆Prince-Sama♪ was first released for the PlayStation Portable by Broccoli on June 24, 2010. It is the best anime adaptation of an otome game, one that keeps the romance to a minimum and focuses mostly on the catchy tunes.
Although it is obvious all of the leading men like the heroine, Haruka Nanami, the main plot of each story is often less drama-filled than most otome game adaptions. There are also characters included who do not like her, which makes the series more fun.