After starving himself to beat an otome game for his sister, office worker Leon falls down the stairs and dies. When he awakens, he is a young son of a minor noble that wasn’t featured in the game. Looking to live quietly as a nobody “mob” character, he is soon saddled with an arranged marriage he is against where he decides to use his knowledge of the game to get out of the match and reach for his own happiness.
I was doubtful about this show at first, but it took all the proper steps to making a “awful but likable” main character as well as giving him a harem without women inexplicably just loving him. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs, then head on down below.
Anime Like Trapped in a Dating Sim – The World of Otome Games is Tough For Mobs
For Fans of Otome Dating Sims
My Next Life as a Villainess – All Routes Lead to Doom!
At eight years old, Katarina Claes, the only daughter of a duke, hits her head and suddenly remembers she was once a seventeen-year-old otaku that got isekai’d. She realizes that she is now in the world of Fortune Lover, the otome game that she had been playing before her death. Unfortunately, she is not the heroine, but rather the villainess who usually ends up dead or exiled at the end. As such, she endeavors to change her fate and avoid all doom flags.
Most obviously, these are related in that they are isekai series about being reincarnated into an otome game that they were playing prior to death. However, while Trapped in a Dating Sim is more comical, My Next Life as a Villianess is more of a wholesome show where she just charms everyone, boys and girls.
The World God Only Knows
Keima Katsuragi is known as the “God of Conquest,” a man that can conquer any girl’s heart, at least in his dating sim games. However, when Keima arrogantly accepts an offer to prove his dating sim supremacy, he finds himself at the mercy of a demon that forces him to woo over real life girls.
While not an isekai, The World God Only Knows and Trapped in an Otome Game are both built around navigating dating sim-type scenarios by using otome game knowledge. It is about having insider knowledge, but also knowing how to read people.
Date A Live
Thirty years ago, an explosion devastated East Asia, killing over 150 million people. In the present day, such “spacequakes” are now a common occurrence. One day, Shidou Itsuka races to rescue his little sister from one such spacequake. However, when he is caught in the blast, he discovers a mysterious girl who turns out to be a Spirit. These girls are responsible for the devastation when they come crashing to Earth. However, when Shidou is rescued by an anti-Spirit team, he discovers it is headed up by his little sister. Recruited in and tasked with neutralizing Spirits with extreme force, Shidou discovers he can come to a more peaceful solution – making the Spirits fall in love.
While Date a Live isn’t outwardly an otome game setting, the plot is essentially that of an otome game. It is a series about wooing girls like catching Pokemon, and using various otome strategies to do it. Furthermore, these series also share mecha-based combat as well as harem elements.
For Fans of Bad-Tempered Main Characters
Dungeon of Black Company
Kinji has finally perfected his NEET lifestyle through shrewd money management. However, just when he is able to hang out for the rest of his life, he is transported to another world. There he is immediately shoved into a harsh mining job for a black company that cares only about profits and quotas. However, as the world’s laziest and most clever NEET, Kinji is determined to be a layabout.
Both series are isekai shows about comically flawed and scummy main characters that die and are sent to another world. Instead of a life of heroics, they choose to just try to build their ideal comfortable life, and the plot follows that.
Full Dive – The Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG Is Even Shittier than Real Life!
Rather average high school student Hiro Yuuki obtains a copy of the full dive RPG game called Kiwame Quest. This game is uses the pinnacle of gaming technology to create an experience as close to real life as possible. Unfortunately, while the sights, smells, and sensations are very realistic, it does make it a difficult game to beat. For players, their real life abilities are reflected in game and being hit also leaves serious wounds on your character that hurt and heal slowly. It is not a game for casuals, but with a supreme sense of accomplishment on the line for beating it, who could say no?
While Full Dive is a VRMMO-based series rather than an iseaki, it shares a similarly cranky sort of main character with Trapped in an Otome Game. He’s not idealistic, he’s not outwardly very charming, he’ll snap at people when they deserve it, and generally takes none of the tedium that more heroic main characters need to put up with.
I’m Standing on A Million Lives
Bored with the world that surrounds him, loner Yotsuya Yusuke is one day transported to a new world with two girls from his class. There he finds out that they have been playing a game with ten increasingly difficult rounds. After beating each round, they get to pose a question to the game master before heading back home. On this, the third round, Yusuke finds himself excited for the first time in a long time, only for his battle class to be rolled as a weak farmer. Together with his teammates, they struggle to survive and move forward or face certain death.
While not quite an isekai series, I’m Standing on a Million Lives shares with Trapped in an Otome Game a main character where nothing is above him if it means accomplishing his goals. They’ll do scummy things, and whatever else it takes. However, Leon does have slightly more honor in that he’ll actively stick up for people.
For Fans of Trying to Live a Normal Life in a Fantasy Land
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent
Sei, a young office worker, is summoned to a new world. However, the people who summoned her to banish dark magic from the world only meant to summon one person they would call Saint. Instead, they summoned two, and Sei discovers that they actually like the other girl better. Not really caring about that, she ends up making potions at a research institute using her newfound magic. Unfortunately, while she is unexpectedly talented at her work and happy doing it, she begins to think that she is indeed the Saint.
Both series are about people taken to another world where they just decide to make the best of things and try to live a normal life. However, in doing so, they get caught up in main character problems where they keep tripping over cute people or magnificent power.
Skeleton Knight in Another World
After falling asleep playing games, a gamer woke up in the game world, but as a skeleton. While he is equipped well, his appearance is too frightening to live the peaceful life he wants. Yet, after meeting a beautiful elf woman, he may find himself a different path full of adventure.
While Skeleton Knight is more adventure-focused rather than the school life that is Trapped in an Otome Game, it is also about a main character trying to live a low-key isekai life. However, he finds himself with power way above the average citizen and is an undead, making it near impossible to live normally.
I’ve Been Killing Slime for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level
Dying from overwork, Azusa Aizawa is allowed to reincarnate into a new world as a witch that will live forever. Wanting to never be overworked again, she leisurely kills slimes in order to pay for living expenses. However, this meager amount of XP stacks over 300 years of doing it, and she finds herself at max level. Fearing someone will try to thrust work upon her, she decides to try and hide her strength.
Both series are about characters that died, reincarnated, and decided to use their new lives to live a nice and peaceful life instead of adventuring. However, I’ve Been Killing Slimes has a woman become accidentally overpowered and thus plagued by various people that seek to challenge her.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs? Let fans know in the comments section below.
