Otome Experience at the Anime Expo

For those of you expecting a review, I apologize because I am going to disappoint you. Instead, I thought I would share my experience at this year’s Anime Expo with you! Continue reading after the jump if you’re interested. 

First of all, I was happy to observe that Otome Games had a bigger presence at the expo this year.

Solmare

Last year, the only otome related booth I found was Solmare’s “Shall We Date.”  This year, they were back.  And the booth looked identical to how I remembered it from last year.  They had a large corner booth with huge signage showing off their eye candy men.  Around their signage they had various stations with Ipads that visitors can use to try out their games.

As you can see from the picture, the booth is pretty crowded.  Otome games must have really gained popularity in the past year because at Anime Expo 2013, this booth was embarrassingly empty.  When I stopped by, two of the Solmare vendors stepped towards me to eagerly explain what their business was about.  Only one other person was in the booth playing with their apps.  This year, I had to elbow past Attack on TItan cosplayers and Sailor Venus if I wanted access to a Solmare vendor in order to get a free promotional fan.  (Which I didn’t end up getting because I got smacked in the face by a death scythe.  If you don’t know what that is, you can just google “Soul Eater Maka Cosplay”)

Voltage Inc.

Voltage was also present for the first time this year.  In an extremely pink booth.  The paper lanterns were pink.  The walls were pink.  The Voltage vendors were wearing (you guessed it) pink.  I’m not sure who was responsible for choosing their colors, but it was overwhelming.  (And I am actually a fan of pink.)  If I was a stranger to Voltage Inc. and was just walking by this booth, I would have run away without stopping because of how childish and over-the-top-pink it was.  And that’s a shame because it is actually a very well set up booth with a beautiful Japanese style building exterior.

Anyway, moving on.  At Voltage’s booth, someone cosplayed as one of Enchanted in the Moonlight characters, Miyabi. I confess that I have not checked out this app yet, so I don’t know his character.  But it looks like he’s trying to give me a smoldering glare here while I take his picture.  Someone tell me, is blondie in character?Miyabi was available for photo ops at the booth.  Although, at the moment it looks like the photographer is manhandling the life-sized cutout of the Oni.

They also gave away a guide book and a poster (as long as you filled out a survey).  The guide book just explains what Voltage is about and gives a summary of some of their apps.  It also mentions that “First Love Diaries” is coming soon.

The poster I received was Kissed by the Baddest Bidder, but they had different posters for each day.  The survey they asked us to fill out was similar to the surveys they ask us to fill out in the apps (age, which apps you’ve played, which ones are your favorites, etc.).  However, it also asked about “Gossip Girl” which I assumed they were referring to the American tv show.  The survey merely asked if we were fans of the show, and then asked if we prefered art in the classic japanese anime style or the more modernized, westernized art like in the apps released by Voltage USA.  Looks like Voltage may be designing an app similar to “Gossip Girl.”

D3Publisher

I also found a third Otome related booth.  This one I’ve never heard of before.

This group had a small, neglected booth.  But as soon as the vendor passed me the fan, I knew they were a company I needed to check out.  Here’s a screencap of their app in the Apple Store.

Have any of you tried this app before?  What do you think?

And that’s it for Otome at the 2014 Anime Expo.  (Unless I missed a booth, which is very possible.)  I suspect otome will continue to gain in popularity.  I can’t wait to see how things develop in the upcoming year.