Help me find an "anime dating sim" for tween that isn't evil
December 9, 2015 7:03 PM Subscribe
My daughter wants to try an anime dating sim, from a girl's perspective, and asked me to help her find one. I would like it not to be gross and awful to women. I also don't want her to look for herself because there's so much disgusting shit out there. Help!
My daughter is 12, in middle school. She says it absolutely has to be anime. She will tolerate it being a male perspective but really wants a girl. I want it not to be porny at least, and to make me not weep bloody tears. Please help me know if this exists.
My daughter is 12, in middle school. She says it absolutely has to be anime. She will tolerate it being a male perspective but really wants a girl. I want it not to be porny at least, and to make me not weep bloody tears. Please help me know if this exists.
Best answer: Your daughter is essentially interested in Japanese visual novels. vndb.org has a database of them which you can filter through tags.
Here's a filter which shows all the visual novels which: have no sexual content, have romance, and have a female protagonist. You can then sort by rating/popularity/score.
Here's a filter with the above three tags, but also a high school tag, which'll probably give you a good selection of your standard, school life, romance VN.
Another tag that might be relevant would be "otome game". vndb gives a description of that tag as: "a game with a female protagonist, with the central focus on developing a relationship with one or more male characters. These games are usually aimed at a female audience." Here's a filter for "otome game" and "no sexual content".
You may run into issues however with a lot of these games not having official English releases. vndb lists at the bottom of each page all the releases, so you can see if there is an English one.
If you run into any issues or have any further questions, feel free to send me a message.
posted by Dalby at 7:19 PM on December 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
Here's a filter which shows all the visual novels which: have no sexual content, have romance, and have a female protagonist. You can then sort by rating/popularity/score.
Here's a filter with the above three tags, but also a high school tag, which'll probably give you a good selection of your standard, school life, romance VN.
Another tag that might be relevant would be "otome game". vndb gives a description of that tag as: "a game with a female protagonist, with the central focus on developing a relationship with one or more male characters. These games are usually aimed at a female audience." Here's a filter for "otome game" and "no sexual content".
You may run into issues however with a lot of these games not having official English releases. vndb lists at the bottom of each page all the releases, so you can see if there is an English one.
If you run into any issues or have any further questions, feel free to send me a message.
posted by Dalby at 7:19 PM on December 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I can't help with specifics but the term that will get you to the Japanese-made female protagonist games is "otome games". That doesn't always mean it's a dating sim but it usually involves some form of romance role playing and it definitely is geared towards a stereotypical feminine audience, so cute boys and girls with lots of complex interpersonal stuff. "Visual novel" is also a good term - if your kid likes a little bit of that dark fairy tale flavor and she's up for a side of Western art with her anime, Cinders is gorgeous.
On preview, what Dalby said. Ask Dalby. :)
posted by Mizu at 7:23 PM on December 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
On preview, what Dalby said. Ask Dalby. :)
posted by Mizu at 7:23 PM on December 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I forgot to address the part about: "I would like it not to be gross and awful to women."
This might be a bit difficult to filter out. Despite a VN matching the above tags, they may still perpetuate unhealthy attitudes to relationships (sometimes subtly, other times not -- though the latter may be less of an issue if they're understood beforehand as being unhealthy representations).
You may have to try to look for reviews or blog comments about the VN in question. Sometimes a VN has been adapted into an anime show, and you can read reviews about that show too to get a better picture. For instance, Diabolik Lovers is listed as an Otome Game with No Sexual Content, but if you check out the reviews of the anime adaptation, you'll see people mentioning the female lead being abused, having no self-esteem, but staying around the guys she's around. Then again, vndb includes some sadist tags for the game, so maybe that's a heads up that there's something potentially foul going on.
posted by Dalby at 7:34 PM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
This might be a bit difficult to filter out. Despite a VN matching the above tags, they may still perpetuate unhealthy attitudes to relationships (sometimes subtly, other times not -- though the latter may be less of an issue if they're understood beforehand as being unhealthy representations).
You may have to try to look for reviews or blog comments about the VN in question. Sometimes a VN has been adapted into an anime show, and you can read reviews about that show too to get a better picture. For instance, Diabolik Lovers is listed as an Otome Game with No Sexual Content, but if you check out the reviews of the anime adaptation, you'll see people mentioning the female lead being abused, having no self-esteem, but staying around the guys she's around. Then again, vndb includes some sadist tags for the game, so maybe that's a heads up that there's something potentially foul going on.
posted by Dalby at 7:34 PM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
The game Hakuoki is available on a few different platforms. I've played through most of it, and it isn't porny or gross (unless random vampires are gross). The heroine is a bit passive, but it isn't awful to women in my estimation. This also has an anime adaptation, so she might enjoy that aspect of it as well.
posted by gnat at 8:26 PM on December 9, 2015
posted by gnat at 8:26 PM on December 9, 2015
Best answer: I had a good time with The Blind Griffin, which is a free dating stim/otome/visual novel created by an indie studio. The studio is American (or English-speaking, anyway), but the style is done in a pretty anime style, so your daughter may enjoy it anyway.
The story takes place during the prohibition. The main character is a teenaged Chinese-American girl, who works at a speakeasy with magic users, and discovers that she herself has secret magic powers. There are three guys with different personalities to choose from, who are all sweet in their own way. [spoiler warning] The owner of the speakeasy turns out to be a trans woman, and this is treated extremely well. [/spoiler warning]
I didn't discover all endings, and I note that the review says some of the endings are "extremely dark,"
but I think this game might be appropriate for your kid. The endings that I found weren't disturbing at all, though some were quite sad (memory loss). It's super fun and cute, and I really enjoyed it.
If your daughter ends up playing this game, I hope you let me know which boy she likes the best. Alexei is my favourite.
posted by tickingclock at 9:37 PM on December 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
The story takes place during the prohibition. The main character is a teenaged Chinese-American girl, who works at a speakeasy with magic users, and discovers that she herself has secret magic powers. There are three guys with different personalities to choose from, who are all sweet in their own way. [spoiler warning] The owner of the speakeasy turns out to be a trans woman, and this is treated extremely well. [/spoiler warning]
I didn't discover all endings, and I note that the review says some of the endings are "extremely dark,"
but I think this game might be appropriate for your kid. The endings that I found weren't disturbing at all, though some were quite sad (memory loss). It's super fun and cute, and I really enjoyed it.
If your daughter ends up playing this game, I hope you let me know which boy she likes the best. Alexei is my favourite.
posted by tickingclock at 9:37 PM on December 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Yes, otome games is what you're looking for.
Voltage Inc. has published several otome games in English. I found an article with a top five. They seem to be kinda cookie-cutter though, so maybe she should try one first instead of buying a bunch.
Magical Diary is a game about a girl who attends a magical school (think Harry Potter's Hogwarts). It was made in the US but has an anime style. You might want to ask your daughter if that's acceptable. It allows same sex relationships, but there's nothing raunchy.
If your daughter already has a Nintendo DS, Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side: 1st Love is a great option. It has a skinship feature, but it is way more innocent than it sounds. You basically have to poke a fully dressed guy with your stylus.
Hatoful Boyfriend and Hakuoki are very very popular, for different reasons that have already been explained.
This article has a few other recommendations, including a couple of free to play games.
Also, English Otome Games has a lot of information on the genre.
If you want to see a game for yourself without playing it, there are a few communities that play the games on forums, posting screenshots. Google "let's play" and the name of the game. That's how I know most of these games.
posted by clearlydemon at 9:47 PM on December 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Voltage Inc. has published several otome games in English. I found an article with a top five. They seem to be kinda cookie-cutter though, so maybe she should try one first instead of buying a bunch.
Magical Diary is a game about a girl who attends a magical school (think Harry Potter's Hogwarts). It was made in the US but has an anime style. You might want to ask your daughter if that's acceptable. It allows same sex relationships, but there's nothing raunchy.
If your daughter already has a Nintendo DS, Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side: 1st Love is a great option. It has a skinship feature, but it is way more innocent than it sounds. You basically have to poke a fully dressed guy with your stylus.
Hatoful Boyfriend and Hakuoki are very very popular, for different reasons that have already been explained.
This article has a few other recommendations, including a couple of free to play games.
Also, English Otome Games has a lot of information on the genre.
If you want to see a game for yourself without playing it, there are a few communities that play the games on forums, posting screenshots. Google "let's play" and the name of the game. That's how I know most of these games.
posted by clearlydemon at 9:47 PM on December 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Otome and visual novel are indeed the terms you want, and there are a decent number of good ones in English that aren't horrible in various ways.
Sweet Fuse: At Your Side is delightful but only available for Sony PSP or Vita (and the latter is pretty much the best way to play this sort of game IMO.) Mystery, wacky hijinks, and a protagonist who's ready and willing to tell the other characters when they're being stupid.
Hakuoki's great if you like romantic tearjerkers (it's vaguely historical-ish, not exactly a spoiler that everyone dies in some of the endings.) Protagonist's a bit of a doormat but the story's entertaining enough to make up for it, and it's full of swordfighting/heroism/futility/etc feels. (Note that bad endings are usually worth seeking out in this genre: the good endings never feel as satisfying if you haven't seen everything go horribly wrong a few times.)
I'm almost done playing through Code: Realize right now and I'm enjoying the heck out of it. Protagonist is unusually badass for the genre, and while one of the characters is kinda awful to the protagonist on his route (kidnapping and murder, oy) it's at least for interesting reasons and he does get better, and the other characters' routes make up for it.
Several games from Hanako would fit well: Royal Trap and Date Warp are both anime-styled straightforward VNs, while Magical Diary's got some magic school-based stat-raising components. (I will play anything Hanako publishes on release day.)
Scheherazade: at the Library of Pergamum is awesome, though the mechanics are tricky to get the hang of. Haven't finished it yet because I only bought it in the most recent Steam sale for cheap, but what I have played is really clever and engaging. Adventures and archaeology and all that good stuff!
Lucky Rabbit Reflex is cute, set in a school, and has anime-style art. I liked it in spite of the weird-looking chins.
Cinders and Hatoful Boyfriend are both excellent in completely different ways.
English Otome Games has a fairly comprehensive directory of what's available, and is a good place to find out about new releases. I have played a crapton of these and am entirely willing to play more for vetting purposes; feel free to MeMail me.
posted by asperity at 9:47 PM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Sweet Fuse: At Your Side is delightful but only available for Sony PSP or Vita (and the latter is pretty much the best way to play this sort of game IMO.) Mystery, wacky hijinks, and a protagonist who's ready and willing to tell the other characters when they're being stupid.
Hakuoki's great if you like romantic tearjerkers (it's vaguely historical-ish, not exactly a spoiler that everyone dies in some of the endings.) Protagonist's a bit of a doormat but the story's entertaining enough to make up for it, and it's full of swordfighting/heroism/futility/etc feels. (Note that bad endings are usually worth seeking out in this genre: the good endings never feel as satisfying if you haven't seen everything go horribly wrong a few times.)
I'm almost done playing through Code: Realize right now and I'm enjoying the heck out of it. Protagonist is unusually badass for the genre, and while one of the characters is kinda awful to the protagonist on his route (kidnapping and murder, oy) it's at least for interesting reasons and he does get better, and the other characters' routes make up for it.
Several games from Hanako would fit well: Royal Trap and Date Warp are both anime-styled straightforward VNs, while Magical Diary's got some magic school-based stat-raising components. (I will play anything Hanako publishes on release day.)
Scheherazade: at the Library of Pergamum is awesome, though the mechanics are tricky to get the hang of. Haven't finished it yet because I only bought it in the most recent Steam sale for cheap, but what I have played is really clever and engaging. Adventures and archaeology and all that good stuff!
Lucky Rabbit Reflex is cute, set in a school, and has anime-style art. I liked it in spite of the weird-looking chins.
Cinders and Hatoful Boyfriend are both excellent in completely different ways.
English Otome Games has a fairly comprehensive directory of what's available, and is a good place to find out about new releases. I have played a crapton of these and am entirely willing to play more for vetting purposes; feel free to MeMail me.
posted by asperity at 9:47 PM on December 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Persona 3 Portable?
posted by augustimagination at 10:37 PM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by augustimagination at 10:37 PM on December 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
What are you/she defining as "anime"? A lot of people get their kicks from The Sims.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:54 PM on December 9, 2015
posted by Jacqueline at 11:54 PM on December 9, 2015
You could also get her started on the Dragon Age games, depending on how much sex and violence you're comfortable introducing her to and if she would respond positively to a fantasy environment. There are some really sweet relationships in those games.
(If I hadn't already been married by the time I started playing I'm pretty sure that Alistair would have raised my standards so high as to ruin me for other men. And as it is, I still have fights with my husband along the lines of "Alistair DIED for me and you won't even take out the garbage!)
posted by Jacqueline at 11:58 PM on December 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
(If I hadn't already been married by the time I started playing I'm pretty sure that Alistair would have raised my standards so high as to ruin me for other men. And as it is, I still have fights with my husband along the lines of "Alistair DIED for me and you won't even take out the garbage!)
posted by Jacqueline at 11:58 PM on December 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
If she has android or apple, she can download many of the voltage games. They cost around £2.49 for a whole "chapter" in the UK.
Here's a link. There are a few that are about young women in high school that may be very suitable.
I agree that she's also at a good age to play RPGs, and that Persona 4 would be pretty good!
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 1:27 AM on December 10, 2015
Here's a link. There are a few that are about young women in high school that may be very suitable.
I agree that she's also at a good age to play RPGs, and that Persona 4 would be pretty good!
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 1:27 AM on December 10, 2015
Hatoful Boyfriend is not porny, absolutely inexplicable, and a hilarious five hours or so of play.
RM buried the lede a bit. Hatoful Boyfriend is a pigeon dating sim - that is, everybody but you in the game is a pigeon. I have only played it a few hours, but have seen nothing that that would be the slightest bit inappropriate for a 12 year old. However I have heard that there is a fairly deeply buried apocalyptic subplot about what happened to the world (and why it is primarily populated by pigeons) that might be a little dark.
posted by rtimmel at 8:29 AM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
RM buried the lede a bit. Hatoful Boyfriend is a pigeon dating sim - that is, everybody but you in the game is a pigeon. I have only played it a few hours, but have seen nothing that that would be the slightest bit inappropriate for a 12 year old. However I have heard that there is a fairly deeply buried apocalyptic subplot about what happened to the world (and why it is primarily populated by pigeons) that might be a little dark.
posted by rtimmel at 8:29 AM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: You guys are lifesavers. LIFESAVERS. I'm going to present these after school to her and see what she says.
posted by corb at 10:10 AM on December 10, 2015
posted by corb at 10:10 AM on December 10, 2015
Persona 3 (Portable, definitely Portable, it's the one that lets you play as a girl and the social links are better than with the male protagonist) and Persona 4 Golden (male protagonist only, but terrific) are also totally great and can/should be played on PS Vita. (Best thing ever for playing games on the bus.)
I'm fairly sure both games also work on Playstation TV, which hasn't sold well and has been available steeply discounted lately (as low as $20.) This should also be true of other PSP/Vita releases that don't use the touchscreen features much. The PSTV unit isn't as nice as the PS Vita what with lack of portability, but if you can get it for cheap, I'd still call it worthwhile.
posted by asperity at 10:42 AM on December 10, 2015
I'm fairly sure both games also work on Playstation TV, which hasn't sold well and has been available steeply discounted lately (as low as $20.) This should also be true of other PSP/Vita releases that don't use the touchscreen features much. The PSTV unit isn't as nice as the PS Vita what with lack of portability, but if you can get it for cheap, I'd still call it worthwhile.
posted by asperity at 10:42 AM on December 10, 2015
Response by poster: Hey I just wanted to follow up and resolve this! She has been very happy with the games found and has developed a new and startling respect for my time spent on Metafilter. "Mom, I didn't know they knew stuff like THAT! Your internet friends are GREAT!"
posted by corb at 12:32 PM on January 9, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by corb at 12:32 PM on January 9, 2016 [5 favorites]
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