Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs is a brand-new isekai title in the Spring 2022 lineup, telling the tale of the grouchy hero Leon Bartfort and his quest to become a powerful leader in this world of otome-style dating sims and Final Fantasy sci-fi JRPG elements. However, the odds are stacked against him.
Isekai series such as Trapped in a Dating Sim can easily devolve into a straightforward power fantasy, and that's happened plenty of times before. However, this show makes use of a grim yet intriguing new type of challenge for the heroes -- an unfair society in which the hero is invalidated at every turn. This isn't a challenge that OP stats or spells can overcome so easily.
The Societal Challenge Of Trapped In A Dating Sim
An isekai story can always challenge its hero with powerful villains such as Demon Lord Clayman or the White Whale seen in Re:Zero, but other isekai titles such as Trapped in a Dating Sim present an even more intriguing and less violent challenge to overcome. That challenge is societal imbalance, where society itself works against the main character for one reason or another. Perhaps the isekai hero is falsely accused of a crime or has caused problems by accident, or they were born as a race or species that society discriminates against. The possibilities are endless.
In Trapped in a Dating Sim's case, the otome game world features a matriarchal civilization where women hold the power, and men must marry wisely so that they can climb the ranks of society and gain influence. Firstborn sons have the best shot at marrying up, while second-born sons might stand a chance and third-born sons such as Leon are unwanted. In this world, lowly sons like Leon are doomed to a life of obscurity in the "mob" of background characters, hence the series' name, and this isn't something Leon can overcome with a single battle or an OP magic sword.
That neatly dodges the power fantasy paradigm, and what's more, such societal challenges in isekai anime make the story feel more relevant to viewers and the real-life social issues and inequality around them. This engages the viewer and challenges them, in turn, to consider whether someone born in their world would like it and what they would have to do to get ahead. It might also make the viewer aware of their own standing in society and how it impacts their own life, in good ways or bad. This may allow Trapped in a Dating Sim to leave a lasting impression, and it's not alone in this either.
Societal Inequality In Other Isekai Anime Series
Other isekai or semi-isekai anime series join Trapped in a Dating Sim where this trend is concerned, and that makes them all the more compelling. A notable example is The Rising of the Shield Hero, set in the matriarchal kingdom of Melromarc. While women don't exactly tyrannize men and boys as a matter of course in this realm, it's still true that women have most of the advantages, and the scheming princess Malty took advantage of that when she falsely accused Naofumi of a crime. It took the influence of Queen Mirellia Melromarc herself to fix that mess and clear Naofumi's name at last. And then there's the matter of demi-human discrimination and slavery, as the character Raphtalia would know.
Meanwhile, the cheerful isekai story That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has a dark edge, depicting a multi-nation world where even the most benevolent and peaceful monsters face deadly discrimination from humanity, most of all the monster-hunting Western Holy Church. Hero Rimuru Tempest must fight back against this prejudice and overcome it if he plans to establish and protect his inclusive, all-monster kingdom. It's not a problem he can solve with his OP spells -- he must learn diplomacy instead.
While not a true isekai anime, The Misfit of Demon King Academy does feature an OP hero, Anos Voldigoad, who has been reborn after millennia into an unrecognizable world of complacent, snobby demons. By now, pureblood demons are considered superior to half-bloods, to the point where half-bloods are bullied and have to wear school uniforms of a different color. Anos sympathizes with the half-bloods, but even with his overwhelming power, he can't solve this problem of social inequality overnight. It's a unique challenge that demands more of him than his OP magic, and that makes for a good watch.