Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
Encyclopedia
, commonly known as , is a Japanese adult
visual novel
developed by Caramel Box
and released on January 28, 2005 as a limited edition playable on a Microsoft Windows
PC
. Subsequent releases include consumer ports by Alchemist
on the PlayStation 2
(PS2) and PlayStation Portable
(PSP) with the adult content removed, and a version of the game by Caramel Box which was a DVD
playable on a PC and included full voice acting
. The story centers around Mizuho Miyanokouji, an androgynous
male high school student, who transfers into an all-girls school due to his grandfather's will.
A sequel
to the visual novel titled (Otoboku 2) was developed by Caramel box and released on June 30, 2010 playable on a Windows PC. This story centers around Chihaya Kisakinomiya, an androgynous male, who transfers into an all-girls school too. Otoboku 2 was ported to the PSP by Alchemist on April 28, 2011 and an anime adaptation has been announced.
A manga
adaptation of Otoboku illustrated by Kanao Araki
was serialized in ASCII Media Works
' Dengeki Daioh
between the November 2006 and August 2008 issues. A manga adaptation of Otoboku 2 illustrated by Akuru Uira began serialization in the July 2010 issue of Kadokawa Shoten
's Comp Ace
. An Otoboku anime
was adapted by Feel which aired in Japan between October and December 2006 and contained twelve episodes, with an extra original video animation
(OVA) episode included in the last DVD released in April 2007. Media Blasters
licensed the anime and released the series in three DVD volumes between June and October 2008. An anime adaptation of Otoboku 2 has been announced. Other adaptations of Otoboku and its sequel include novels and drama CDs
.
According to a national ranking of how well bishōjo game
s sold nationally in Japan, the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru limited edition PC release premiered at number two in the rankings. The limited edition achieved a ranking of four out of fifty in the ranking for the next two weeks. The first two DVDs released by Media Blasters were generally panned in reviews at Anime News Network
where the series was described as "cruelly unimaginative" with "obnoxious quirks and technical shortcomings." In a review of the anime by Mania Entertainment, the series is thought to be "very predictable and bland."
The gameplay
in Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru follows a plotline where the player interacts at predetermined times to choose from several options that appear on the game screen. Each path is divided into eight episodes, one interlude episode and an epilogue. At the end of an episode, an announcement of the next episode appears showing a preview of what is to consist in the next episode. Each episode takes place within the span of one month between June and March from episode one through the epilogue. The interlude episode was placed between the second and third episodes.
The goal of the original version's gameplay was for the player to enable the viewing of several adult scenes
depicting Mizuho Miyanokouji and one of the six heroines having sexual intercourse
. When the game was ported to the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console
, the gameplay was somewhat altered. The PS2 version, and later the anime adaptation, both had the sexual content removed, and in these versions there is no evidence that physical relationships actually take place between any of the students.
There are ten additional sub episodes and a special sub episode. The CD and DVD editions contain four sub episodes, the fandisc Caramel Box Yarukibako
contains four sub episodes and a special episode, Caramel Box Yarukibako 2
contains two sub episodes, and the PlayStation 2 version contains six sub episodes, though the order in which they appeared was altered.
The goal of Otoboku 2 is also for the player to enable the viewing of several adult scenes depicting Chihaya and one of the six heroines having sexual intercourse. The gameplay is somewhat altered on the PSP version. The PSP version has the sexual content removed, the scenarios of Utano Sasou and Kaori Kamichika that appeared in the PC version are removed, and it contains newly-added scenarios of You Kashiwagi and Hatsune Minase. There are three additional sub episodes in the PC version of Otoboku 2.
fan disc. This name was later ascertained to be similar to a name of an actual school, and the school's name was changed to . Seio is used in the PlayStation 2 version, DVD PC edition, Caramel Box Yarukibako Fukkoku-ban and anime series. The secondary setting is at a dormitory building named , which Mizuho, Mariya, Yukari and Kana are boarding at. There are four other former dormitories named Tsubaki-yakata, Enoki-yakata, Hisagi-yakata and Hiiragi-yakata.
. He spends his time with many fellow attendees, some of which live in the nearby dormitory, and enjoys helping them with any problems they may have. His childhood friend Mariya Mikado attends the school with him, and helps in his female transition. She has a spirited personality with a bit of a temper, and has been a support for Mizuho in the past. Mizuho meets a classmate named Sion Jujo who has a silent voice and demeanor; she quickly figures out that Mizuho is actually a boy, but tells no one. The previous year, she had to be hospitalized soon after she was elected as the Elder due to an illness.
At the dormitory lives an energetic first-year student named Yukari Kamioka. She is on the track and field team along with Mariya, who is her , and has low confidence in her ability to run. Another first-year at the dormitory named Kana Suoin meets Mizuho on the day he moves in, and soon after Mizuho becomes her Oneesama. Kana is more than happy to serve Mizuho any way she can, since she admires him immensely. A hyperactive ghost resides in Mizuho's room named Ichiko Takashima and is shown to speak very fast when excited. She says that Mizuho looks very much like her previous Elder love interest, who turns out to be Mizuho's deceased mother. The student council president at Seio is Takako Itsukushima who tends to have a serious personality.
is reviewed, which explains his desire to have his grandson transfer to Seio Girls' Academy, the same one his own mother attended and his ancestors founded. Abiding by the will, Mizuho cross-dresses to attend the school. The headmistress, the deputy head teacher (visual novel only), Mizuho's homeroom teacher Hisako Kajiura and Mariya Mikado initially know his secret; Sion Jujo and Ichiko Takashima also eventually find this out. Mizuho is very popular among the other students, who often talk about how pretty, nice, and athletic Mizuho is. This rampant popularity escalates to him even being nominated against his will to join in on the Elder election. By these terms, the current student council president, Takako Itsukushima, runs against Mizuho.
The Elder election is an old tradition at Seio Girls' Academy where every June one of the students is elected by her peers to be the "Elder", who is seen as the number one "Elder Sister" in the school. Until her graduation, she is referred to by her peers as . To become an Elder, a candidate must gain at least 75% of the votes. If none of the candidates get at least 75% in the first round of voting, one of the candidates hands over her votes to another candidate, and the candidate who finally obtains at least 75% of the votes becomes the Elder. If there is no one else in the election, the current year's student council president becomes the Elder. In Otoboku, Mizuho gains 82% of the votes in the first round, effectively becoming the 72nd Elder in the school's history. After becoming Elder, Mizuho progressively gets more popular among the student body since he is now a symbol of the school's excellence. In the following months, Mizuho starts to get to know some of the girls better and helps them with their problems.
In the 75th Elder election, there are four finalists; Hatsune Minase hands over her votes to Kaoruko and Makiyo Shingyouji hands over her votes to Chihaya. Then Chihaya and Kaoruko gain the same votes of 368 together. Though a candidate which gains 75% or more of the votes becomes the Elder, Hatsune, as the student council president, proposes that both Chihaya and Kaoruko become the Elders; the motion is adopted unanimously. This is the first time there have been two Elders in the history of Seio Girls' Academy.
developed by Caramel Box
. The scenario is written by Aya Takaya, and this was the first time Takaya was staffed on a Caramel Box game. Art direction and character design is done by Norita, who was staff's on Caramel Box's debut release Blue
as an artist. The super deformed
illustrations featured in Otoboku were drawn by the game illustrator Yoda. The music direction was headed by the music team Zizz Studio.
The original title uses the kanji , which means "virgin", but is very close to the word for "young lady", shōjo
. The creators added furigana
subscript to indicate they wanted it read "otome" meaning "young maiden". Additionally, furigana was added above to indicate that they wanted it read "boku". Despite the different kanji
, the official reading is "Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru". When the game was ported to the PlayStation 2, it was rewritten as with the same pronunciation of "Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru", which uses the actual kanji. The latter name was kept for the manga and anime releases.
version of Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru can be downloaded at the game's official website. The visual novel was first released in Japan as a limited edition version on January 28, 2005 for the PC
and contained two game CD-ROM
s. This release came with a special story book entitled Tsunderera with the whole package. On February 18, 2005, the regular edition was released, and one select lot of this version contained a limited edition sticker. On June 24, 2005, a fan disc called Caramel Box Yarukibako
was released and contained an additional scenario that furthered the story from the original visual novel; the fan disc came with a gift called . The fan disc was re-released under the title Caramel Box Yarukibako Fukkoku-ban on January 26, 2007, and came with the final PC release of Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru. The first consumer console port of the game was released for the PlayStation 2
(PS2) on December 29, 2005 by Alchemist
. Additional scenarios were included in the PS2 version written by Kiichi Kanō. The fully voiced DVD version of Otoboku was released on April 28, 2006 for the PC. A PlayStation Portable
(PSP) port was released on April 29, 2010 by Alchemist.
to the visual novel titled Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru: Futari no Elder was released on June 30, 2010 by Caramel Box in Japan. This coincided in-story with the day of the election day of the 75th Elder sister. The same staff that worked on Otoboku returned for the sequel. Settings and characters from Sakura no Sono no Étoile, a novel written by the scriptwriter of Otoboku as a sequel to Takako's story, appear in Otoboku 2. A PSP edition was developed by Alchemist.
were released in Japan in June and August 2005. The first released was centering around Sion, with the second entitled centering around Takako. These novels contain erotic
content. A single volume titled Otome wa Boku ni Koishitery written by Chihiro Minagawa with accompanying illustrations by Ume Aoi was published by Jive
in August 2005, and centers around Takako's scenario. Sion's scenario was ported to the iPhone
as an e-book
between March 29 and June 4, 2010 by DML. A semi official dōjin
novel was written by the original scenario writer for the game, Aya Takaya, called , with illustrations by the original game artist Norita. The novel contains a two short stories that is a sequel of Takako's scenario, and Kana and Yukari have little sisters. The revised and completed edition of the dōjin novel was published as an official novel by Enterbrain
on December 25, 2007.
Three volumes based on Otoboku 2 were written by Tasuku Saiga and published by Paradigm between September 30, 2010 and January 19, 2011. The first volume centers around Kaoruko Nanahara, the second is around Kaori Kamichika, and the third centers around Utano Sasou. A single volume written by Reiji Mai with illustrations by Seiju Nanaki titled was published by Kill Time Communication
on December 3, 2010. These four novels contain erotic content. A novel for Otoboku 2 written by Aya Takaya was released by SoftBank Creative
on December 15, 2010 titled and is not erotic.
adaptation is illustrated by Kanao Araki
and was serialized in ASCII Media Works
' magazine Dengeki Daioh
between the November 2006 and August 2008 issues in Japan. The first tankōbon
volume went on sale on August 27, 2007 under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics
imprint
, and the second volume went on sale on September 27, 2008. A four panel
comic strip
manga was published by Enterbrain
in 12 comics anthologies
released between March 26, 2007 and March 25, 2009.
A manga adaptation of Otoboku 2 illustrated by Akuru Uira began serialization in the July 2010 issue of Kadokawa Shoten
's Comp Ace
, and its first volume was published on November 26, 2010. Three volumes of a four panel, comic strip manga of Otoboku 2 were published by Enterbrain between September 26, 2010 and January 29, 2011. Two comic anthologies were released by Ichijinsha
between October 25 and November 25, 2010.
show to promote the anime series was broadcast between October 5, 2006 and March 27, 2008 called the . It aired every Thursday hosted by Miyu Matsuki
and Yuko Goto
who played Sion Jujo and Ichiko Takashima in the anime, respectively; it was produced by Animate TV
. There are thirteen corners, or parts, to the program which correspond to the general life of the characters in the story, and 74 episodes were produced. There were several guests to the show such as Chiaki Takahashi
in episodes six and seven as Takako Itsukushima, Akemi Kanda
in episodes eleven and twelve as Kana Suoin, Ayano Matsumoto in episodes fifteen and sixteen as Yukari Kamioka, and Madoka Kimura
in episodes nineteen and twenty as Kimie Sugawara. The radio show episodes were released on four CDs released between May 9, 2007 and February 6, 2008.
adaptation is produced by the animation studio Feel, directed by Munenori Nawa
, written by Katsumi Hasegawa, and features character design by Noriko Shimazawa who based the designs on Norita's original concept. The anime, called UHF anime
in Japan, contained twelve episodes which aired between October 6 and December 24, 2006 on several networks including TV Kanagawa and Chiba TV
. The episodes were released on four DVD
compilations released in Japan as limited and regular editions. A single original video animation
(OVA) episode was released on the final limited edition DVD on April 4, 2007. Media Blasters
released the series, including the OVA, as English-subtitled DVDs between June 24 and October 7, 2008 under the title Otoboku: Maidens Are Falling For Me!.
An anime adaptation of Otoboku 2 was announced in December 2010.
have been released based on the series: one based on the visual novel released on September 22, 2005, four based from the anime adaptation and released between October 25, 2006 and April 11, 2007, one based from the novel Sakura no Sono no Étoile released on January 29, 2010, and one based from a special episode contained in the fandisc Caramel Box Yarukibako
with voice actors from anime adaptation released on January 29, 2010.
The original soundtrack for the visual novel entitled Maiden's Rest was released in Japan on February 25, 2005 by Digiturbo. An album was released containing theme songs for the PC version of Otoboku 2 on May 26, 2010 by Lantis
. A single was released for the PSP version of Otoboku 2 on April 27, 2011 by Lantis.
Two singles were released for the opening and ending themes for the anime adaptation. The first called "Love Power" by Aice5
contained the opening theme of the same name. The other single entitled "Again" by Yui Sakakibara
contained the ending theme entitled "Beautiful Day". The A-side
track from that single entitled "Again" was used as an insert song in episode eleven. Both singles were released on October 25, 2006 by King Records. The soundtrack for the anime was released on November 22, 2006 by King Records. Three character image song
albums were released sung by voice actors
from the anime adaptation. The first album was by Yui Horie
as Mizuho Miyanokouji, Miyu Matsuki
as Sion Jujo and Masumi Asano
as Mariya Mikado. The second album featured Ayano Matsumoto as Yukari Kamioka, Akemi Kanda
as Kana Suoin and Yuko Goto
as Ichiko Takashima. The third and final album was recorded by Chiaki Takahashi
as Takako Itsukushima, Madoka Kimura
as Kimie Sugawara and Yui Sakakibara
as Hisako Kajiura. These CDs were released between July 26 and September 21, 2006.
s sold nationally in Japan, the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru limited edition PC release premiered at number two in the rankings. The limited edition achieved a ranking of four out of fifty in the ranking for the next two weeks. The regular edition PC release premiered at number six in the rankings, and stayed in the top fifty for a month and a half until mid-April 2005. The regular edition was again in the rankings for May 2005, managing to rank in at thirty-eight and forty-nine. The Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru PC edition playable as a DVD premiered at number thirteen in the rankings and stayed at that rank for the next listing. The DVD edition ranked twice more over the next month: the first at forty-three and the last at thirty-three.
The first two anime DVD volumes released by Media Blasters
were reviewed by Anime News Network
. In the review of the first DVD, the reviewer Carl Kimlinger generally panned the volume, commenting how the three episodes were "cruelly unimaginative" where "afterwards it's one long slide into a torturous hell of girls' school tripe where not even humor or romance can pierce the veil of pain." The Catholic girl's school premise is likened to Maria-sama ga Miteru
and Strawberry Panic!
, and is considered to be used "merely as visual spice." For the second DVD volume, Kimlinger wrote that "while the onslaught of squealing, caffeinated moe-bait has abated somewhat in its ferocity, a sagging of the already listlessly undirected plot ensures that the series' sophomore outing is only marginally more tolerable than the first." Further, the series is described as having "obnoxious quirks and technical shortcomings."
The first two anime DVD volumes released by Media Blasters were also reviewed by Mania Entertainment. In the review of the first DVD, the reviewer Chris Beveridge felt the anime reminded him of "parts of Princess Princess
, especially when it came to the Elder status piece. It's even reminiscent of Strawberry Panic in this way." The series is described as "all about the "moe" factor, bringing about an atmosphere that makes you like the characters, care about them and feel good about seeing them interact. It does it well even if it doesn’t have an amazing hook." For the second DVD volume, Beveridge commented that the series continues to be "very predictable and bland" which is "at this point fun but entirely forgettable." Beveridge also wrote how "the characters are all pleasant, nicely designed and with mildly interesting personalities that could lead to something more but never does."
}
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
developed by Caramel Box
Caramel Box
is a Japanese visual novel studio operated by HOBIBOX. The studio was once under HimeyaSoft.-Caramel Box:*July 26, 2002 Blue*July 25, 2003 Blue *September 26, 2003 Meguri, Hitohira...
and released on January 28, 2005 as a limited edition playable on a Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. Subsequent releases include consumer ports by Alchemist
Alchemist (company)
is a Japanese video game developer. It specializes in the development of visual novel video games ports for use on home video game consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and the defunct Dreamcast.-Dreamcast:*Baldr Force EXE*Chocolat: Maid Cafe Curio...
on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
(PS2) and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(PSP) with the adult content removed, and a version of the game by Caramel Box which was a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
playable on a PC and included full voice acting
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. The story centers around Mizuho Miyanokouji, an androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
male high school student, who transfers into an all-girls school due to his grandfather's will.
A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the visual novel titled (Otoboku 2) was developed by Caramel box and released on June 30, 2010 playable on a Windows PC. This story centers around Chihaya Kisakinomiya, an androgynous male, who transfers into an all-girls school too. Otoboku 2 was ported to the PSP by Alchemist on April 28, 2011 and an anime adaptation has been announced.
A manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation of Otoboku illustrated by Kanao Araki
Kanao Araki
is a female Japanese manga artist.-External links:...
was serialized in ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
' Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
between the November 2006 and August 2008 issues. A manga adaptation of Otoboku 2 illustrated by Akuru Uira began serialization in the July 2010 issue of Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
's Comp Ace
Comp Ace
is a Japanese computer game and manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. Comp Ace began as a special edition version of another one of Kadokawa Shoten's magazines, Comptiq. The first issue was released on March 26, 2005, and was published quarterly for the first three volumes which had cover...
. An Otoboku anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
was adapted by Feel which aired in Japan between October and December 2006 and contained twelve episodes, with an extra original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) episode included in the last DVD released in April 2007. Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
licensed the anime and released the series in three DVD volumes between June and October 2008. An anime adaptation of Otoboku 2 has been announced. Other adaptations of Otoboku and its sequel include novels and drama CDs
Radio drama in Japan
Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...
.
According to a national ranking of how well bishōjo game
Bishojo game
A , or , is "a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive anime-style girls". These games are a sub-genre of dating sims targeted towards a male audience....
s sold nationally in Japan, the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru limited edition PC release premiered at number two in the rankings. The limited edition achieved a ranking of four out of fifty in the ranking for the next two weeks. The first two DVDs released by Media Blasters were generally panned in reviews at Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
where the series was described as "cruelly unimaginative" with "obnoxious quirks and technical shortcomings." In a review of the anime by Mania Entertainment, the series is thought to be "very predictable and bland."
Gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
in Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru follows a plotline where the player interacts at predetermined times to choose from several options that appear on the game screen. Each path is divided into eight episodes, one interlude episode and an epilogue. At the end of an episode, an announcement of the next episode appears showing a preview of what is to consist in the next episode. Each episode takes place within the span of one month between June and March from episode one through the epilogue. The interlude episode was placed between the second and third episodes.
The goal of the original version's gameplay was for the player to enable the viewing of several adult scenes
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
depicting Mizuho Miyanokouji and one of the six heroines having sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
. When the game was ported to the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, the gameplay was somewhat altered. The PS2 version, and later the anime adaptation, both had the sexual content removed, and in these versions there is no evidence that physical relationships actually take place between any of the students.
There are ten additional sub episodes and a special sub episode. The CD and DVD editions contain four sub episodes, the fandisc Caramel Box Yarukibako
Caramel Box Yarukibako
is a fan disc of the works developed by Caramel Box released on June 24, 2005 in Japan. was released on January 26, 2007 due to the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru anime series which aired in late 2006 which made fans of the series hope that Yarukibako would be re-released.The second fan disc was...
contains four sub episodes and a special episode, Caramel Box Yarukibako 2
Caramel Box Yarukibako
is a fan disc of the works developed by Caramel Box released on June 24, 2005 in Japan. was released on January 26, 2007 due to the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru anime series which aired in late 2006 which made fans of the series hope that Yarukibako would be re-released.The second fan disc was...
contains two sub episodes, and the PlayStation 2 version contains six sub episodes, though the order in which they appeared was altered.
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The goal of Otoboku 2 is also for the player to enable the viewing of several adult scenes depicting Chihaya and one of the six heroines having sexual intercourse. The gameplay is somewhat altered on the PSP version. The PSP version has the sexual content removed, the scenarios of Utano Sasou and Kaori Kamichika that appeared in the PC version are removed, and it contains newly-added scenarios of You Kashiwagi and Hatsune Minase. There are three additional sub episodes in the PC version of Otoboku 2.
Setting
The primary setting is at a private all-girls school named Seio Girls' Academy, also called Seio Jogakuin Christian Education, which was founded in 1886 by Mizuho's ancestor. Seio was originally named , which was used in original PC version, the drama CD of the visual novel, and for the Caramel Box YarukibakoCaramel Box Yarukibako
is a fan disc of the works developed by Caramel Box released on June 24, 2005 in Japan. was released on January 26, 2007 due to the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru anime series which aired in late 2006 which made fans of the series hope that Yarukibako would be re-released.The second fan disc was...
fan disc. This name was later ascertained to be similar to a name of an actual school, and the school's name was changed to . Seio is used in the PlayStation 2 version, DVD PC edition, Caramel Box Yarukibako Fukkoku-ban and anime series. The secondary setting is at a dormitory building named , which Mizuho, Mariya, Yukari and Kana are boarding at. There are four other former dormitories named Tsubaki-yakata, Enoki-yakata, Hisagi-yakata and Hiiragi-yakata.
Main characters
The player assumes the role of Mizuho Miyanokouji, the protagonist of Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru. He is a kind high school student who impersonates a girl at an all girl's school, which he transfers into per his grandfather's willWill (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
. He spends his time with many fellow attendees, some of which live in the nearby dormitory, and enjoys helping them with any problems they may have. His childhood friend Mariya Mikado attends the school with him, and helps in his female transition. She has a spirited personality with a bit of a temper, and has been a support for Mizuho in the past. Mizuho meets a classmate named Sion Jujo who has a silent voice and demeanor; she quickly figures out that Mizuho is actually a boy, but tells no one. The previous year, she had to be hospitalized soon after she was elected as the Elder due to an illness.
At the dormitory lives an energetic first-year student named Yukari Kamioka. She is on the track and field team along with Mariya, who is her , and has low confidence in her ability to run. Another first-year at the dormitory named Kana Suoin meets Mizuho on the day he moves in, and soon after Mizuho becomes her Oneesama. Kana is more than happy to serve Mizuho any way she can, since she admires him immensely. A hyperactive ghost resides in Mizuho's room named Ichiko Takashima and is shown to speak very fast when excited. She says that Mizuho looks very much like her previous Elder love interest, who turns out to be Mizuho's deceased mother. The student council president at Seio is Takako Itsukushima who tends to have a serious personality.
Story
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru revolves around the main protagonist Mizuho Miyanokouji, a male high school student. After Mizuho's grandfather dies, his willWill (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
is reviewed, which explains his desire to have his grandson transfer to Seio Girls' Academy, the same one his own mother attended and his ancestors founded. Abiding by the will, Mizuho cross-dresses to attend the school. The headmistress, the deputy head teacher (visual novel only), Mizuho's homeroom teacher Hisako Kajiura and Mariya Mikado initially know his secret; Sion Jujo and Ichiko Takashima also eventually find this out. Mizuho is very popular among the other students, who often talk about how pretty, nice, and athletic Mizuho is. This rampant popularity escalates to him even being nominated against his will to join in on the Elder election. By these terms, the current student council president, Takako Itsukushima, runs against Mizuho.
The Elder election is an old tradition at Seio Girls' Academy where every June one of the students is elected by her peers to be the "Elder", who is seen as the number one "Elder Sister" in the school. Until her graduation, she is referred to by her peers as . To become an Elder, a candidate must gain at least 75% of the votes. If none of the candidates get at least 75% in the first round of voting, one of the candidates hands over her votes to another candidate, and the candidate who finally obtains at least 75% of the votes becomes the Elder. If there is no one else in the election, the current year's student council president becomes the Elder. In Otoboku, Mizuho gains 82% of the votes in the first round, effectively becoming the 72nd Elder in the school's history. After becoming Elder, Mizuho progressively gets more popular among the student body since he is now a symbol of the school's excellence. In the following months, Mizuho starts to get to know some of the girls better and helps them with their problems.
Otoboku 2
Otoboku 2 is written from the viewpoints of main character Chihaya Kisakinomiya and secondary character Kaoruko Nanahara. The player assumes the role of them; Otoboku 2 begins about two years after Mizuho's graduation. The main protagonist Chihaya Mikado was truant at his school because of harassment in the school and of a distrust in men. His mother cannot bear to watch him be in trouble, so she makes him transfer to Seio Girls' Academy, her old school. He dresses as a girl and introduces himself as Chihaya Kisakinomiya. Chihaya meets another protagonist Kaoruko Nanahara, who once rescued him from a playboy, and he begins to live in the dormitory building. He becomes the focus of public attention due to his attractive face and figure, and due to high grades at studies.In the 75th Elder election, there are four finalists; Hatsune Minase hands over her votes to Kaoruko and Makiyo Shingyouji hands over her votes to Chihaya. Then Chihaya and Kaoruko gain the same votes of 368 together. Though a candidate which gains 75% or more of the votes becomes the Elder, Hatsune, as the student council president, proposes that both Chihaya and Kaoruko become the Elders; the motion is adopted unanimously. This is the first time there have been two Elders in the history of Seio Girls' Academy.
Development
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru is the fourth visual novelVisual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
developed by Caramel Box
Caramel Box
is a Japanese visual novel studio operated by HOBIBOX. The studio was once under HimeyaSoft.-Caramel Box:*July 26, 2002 Blue*July 25, 2003 Blue *September 26, 2003 Meguri, Hitohira...
. The scenario is written by Aya Takaya, and this was the first time Takaya was staffed on a Caramel Box game. Art direction and character design is done by Norita, who was staff's on Caramel Box's debut release Blue
Blue (visual novel)
Blue is visual novel eroge developed by Caramel Box. It is their first work.-External links:...
as an artist. The super deformed
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
illustrations featured in Otoboku were drawn by the game illustrator Yoda. The music direction was headed by the music team Zizz Studio.
The original title uses the kanji , which means "virgin", but is very close to the word for "young lady", shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
. The creators added furigana
Furigana
is a Japanese reading aid, consisting of smaller kana, or syllabic characters, printed next to a kanji or other character to indicate its pronunciation. In horizontal text, yokogaki, they are placed above the line of text, while in vertical text, tategaki, they are placed to the right of the line...
subscript to indicate they wanted it read "otome" meaning "young maiden". Additionally, furigana was added above to indicate that they wanted it read "boku". Despite the different kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
, the official reading is "Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru". When the game was ported to the PlayStation 2, it was rewritten as with the same pronunciation of "Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru", which uses the actual kanji. The latter name was kept for the manga and anime releases.
Release history
A free game demoGame demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
version of Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru can be downloaded at the game's official website. The visual novel was first released in Japan as a limited edition version on January 28, 2005 for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and contained two game CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
s. This release came with a special story book entitled Tsunderera with the whole package. On February 18, 2005, the regular edition was released, and one select lot of this version contained a limited edition sticker. On June 24, 2005, a fan disc called Caramel Box Yarukibako
Caramel Box Yarukibako
is a fan disc of the works developed by Caramel Box released on June 24, 2005 in Japan. was released on January 26, 2007 due to the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru anime series which aired in late 2006 which made fans of the series hope that Yarukibako would be re-released.The second fan disc was...
was released and contained an additional scenario that furthered the story from the original visual novel; the fan disc came with a gift called . The fan disc was re-released under the title Caramel Box Yarukibako Fukkoku-ban on January 26, 2007, and came with the final PC release of Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru. The first consumer console port of the game was released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
(PS2) on December 29, 2005 by Alchemist
Alchemist (company)
is a Japanese video game developer. It specializes in the development of visual novel video games ports for use on home video game consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and the defunct Dreamcast.-Dreamcast:*Baldr Force EXE*Chocolat: Maid Cafe Curio...
. Additional scenarios were included in the PS2 version written by Kiichi Kanō. The fully voiced DVD version of Otoboku was released on April 28, 2006 for the PC. A PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
(PSP) port was released on April 29, 2010 by Alchemist.
Sequel
A sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the visual novel titled Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru: Futari no Elder was released on June 30, 2010 by Caramel Box in Japan. This coincided in-story with the day of the election day of the 75th Elder sister. The same staff that worked on Otoboku returned for the sequel. Settings and characters from Sakura no Sono no Étoile, a novel written by the scriptwriter of Otoboku as a sequel to Takako's story, appear in Otoboku 2. A PSP edition was developed by Alchemist.
Novels
Two novels written based on the original game written by Saki Murakami and published by ParadigmParadigm (publisher)
is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Suginami, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. The company mainly publishes novels based on adult visual novel video games....
were released in Japan in June and August 2005. The first released was centering around Sion, with the second entitled centering around Takako. These novels contain erotic
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
content. A single volume titled Otome wa Boku ni Koishitery written by Chihiro Minagawa with accompanying illustrations by Ume Aoi was published by Jive
Jive (publisher)
is a Japanese publishing company in Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan and was established on May 12, 2003. In 2004, the company sold its stock to Poplar Publishing and now Jive is an affiliate of that company....
in August 2005, and centers around Takako's scenario. Sion's scenario was ported to the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
as an e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
between March 29 and June 4, 2010 by DML. A semi official dōjin
Dojin
, often romanized as doujin, is a general Japanese term for a group of people or friends who share an interest, activity, hobbies, or achievement...
novel was written by the original scenario writer for the game, Aya Takaya, called , with illustrations by the original game artist Norita. The novel contains a two short stories that is a sequel of Takako's scenario, and Kana and Yukari have little sisters. The revised and completed edition of the dōjin novel was published as an official novel by Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
on December 25, 2007.
Three volumes based on Otoboku 2 were written by Tasuku Saiga and published by Paradigm between September 30, 2010 and January 19, 2011. The first volume centers around Kaoruko Nanahara, the second is around Kaori Kamichika, and the third centers around Utano Sasou. A single volume written by Reiji Mai with illustrations by Seiju Nanaki titled was published by Kill Time Communication
Kill Time Communication
is a Japanese publishing company focused on adult material, such as light novels, artbooks, adult magazines, manga. The company was established in November 1995...
on December 3, 2010. These four novels contain erotic content. A novel for Otoboku 2 written by Aya Takaya was released by SoftBank Creative
SoftBank Creative
is a Japanese publishing company and a subsidiary of the SoftBank telecommunications company. It was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.-External links:* *...
on December 15, 2010 titled and is not erotic.
Manga
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation is illustrated by Kanao Araki
Kanao Araki
is a female Japanese manga artist.-External links:...
and was serialized in ASCII Media Works
ASCII Media Works
is a Japanese publishing company in the Kadokawa Group which formed on April 1, 2008 as a result of a merger between ASCII and MediaWorks where MediaWorks legally absorbed ASCII. Despite this, the former president of ASCII, Kiyoshi Takano, became the president of ASCII Media Works. The company...
' magazine Dengeki Daioh
Dengeki Daioh
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by ASCII Media Works under the Dengeki brand. Many manga serialized in Dengeki Daioh were later published in tankōbon volumes under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics imprint. The magazine is sold every month on the 27th...
between the November 2006 and August 2008 issues in Japan. The first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volume went on sale on August 27, 2007 under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Comics
Dengeki Comics
is a manga publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company ASCII Media Works and is aimed at a male audience. Aside from the main Dengeki Comics label, there is the related Dengeki Comics EX label which publishes a lesser number of manga volumes...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
, and the second volume went on sale on September 27, 2008. A four panel
Yonkoma
thumb|right|150px|Traditional Yonkoma layout, a comic-strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
manga was published by Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
in 12 comics anthologies
Comics anthology
Comics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
released between March 26, 2007 and March 25, 2009.
A manga adaptation of Otoboku 2 illustrated by Akuru Uira began serialization in the July 2010 issue of Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
's Comp Ace
Comp Ace
is a Japanese computer game and manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. Comp Ace began as a special edition version of another one of Kadokawa Shoten's magazines, Comptiq. The first issue was released on March 26, 2005, and was published quarterly for the first three volumes which had cover...
, and its first volume was published on November 26, 2010. Three volumes of a four panel, comic strip manga of Otoboku 2 were published by Enterbrain between September 26, 2010 and January 29, 2011. Two comic anthologies were released by Ichijinsha
Ichijinsha
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was first established in August 1992 as a limited company under the name Studio DNA which main purpose was to edit shōnen manga. In January 1998, Studio DNA became a public company and...
between October 25 and November 25, 2010.
Internet radio show
An Internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
show to promote the anime series was broadcast between October 5, 2006 and March 27, 2008 called the . It aired every Thursday hosted by Miyu Matsuki
Miyu Matsuki
is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Hiroshima Japan.-Anime cast in:*Ayakashi as Hime Yakushiji*ARIA The NATURAL as Ayano *Binchō-tan as Pukashuu*Claymore as Flora*D.C. ~Da Capo~ as Yoriko Sagisawa*D.C.S.S...
and Yuko Goto
Yuko Goto
is a Japanese voice actress who works for Production Baobab. In direct contrast to her cute-and-vulnerable moé typecasting, Yūko in real life is a devotee of biker culture who dresses and acts as such when not working, right down to her motorcycle...
who played Sion Jujo and Ichiko Takashima in the anime, respectively; it was produced by Animate TV
Animate
is the retailing arm of MOVIC and is the largest retailer of anime, games, and manga in Japan. The first and headquarters store of Animate opened in 1983 and is located in Ikebukuro, a district in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, there are 38 Animate stores in Japan, and two in Taipei, Taiwan...
. There are thirteen corners, or parts, to the program which correspond to the general life of the characters in the story, and 74 episodes were produced. There were several guests to the show such as Chiaki Takahashi
Chiaki Takahashi (actress)
is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Yokohama, Japan. On October 10, 2000, she changed the kanji lettering of her name, though the pronunciation remains the same. She was a member of the J-pop group Aice5 as well. Currently freelance , she was previously represented by Aoni Production and...
in episodes six and seven as Takako Itsukushima, Akemi Kanda
Akemi Kanda
is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Aoni Production. She was formerly a member of the voice actor unit DROPS, which included fellow voice actors Ai Nonaka, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi, and of the voice actor unit Aice5 along with Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi,...
in episodes eleven and twelve as Kana Suoin, Ayano Matsumoto in episodes fifteen and sixteen as Yukari Kamioka, and Madoka Kimura
Madoka Kimura
is a Japanese voice actress and singer working for Production Baobab.- Notable voice roles :* Kimie Sugawara in Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru* Yuuna Akashi in Negima!* Miki Tachibana in Night Head Genesis...
in episodes nineteen and twenty as Kimie Sugawara. The radio show episodes were released on four CDs released between May 9, 2007 and February 6, 2008.
Anime
An animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation is produced by the animation studio Feel, directed by Munenori Nawa
Munenori Nawa
is a Japanese animation director.-Anime involved in:*D.C.S.S.: Da Capo Second Season: Director*Digimon: The Movie: Key Animation*Galaxy Angel A: Animation director*Galaxy Angel Z: Animation director*Kiss×sis: Director...
, written by Katsumi Hasegawa, and features character design by Noriko Shimazawa who based the designs on Norita's original concept. The anime, called UHF anime
UHF anime
refers to the anime broadcast by independent stations generally located in the Kanto, Chukyo and Kansai regions of Japan, who are members of the Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations . Other common names for UHF anime include and...
in Japan, contained twelve episodes which aired between October 6 and December 24, 2006 on several networks including TV Kanagawa and Chiba TV
Chiba TV
, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...
. The episodes were released on four DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
compilations released in Japan as limited and regular editions. A single original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) episode was released on the final limited edition DVD on April 4, 2007. Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
released the series, including the OVA, as English-subtitled DVDs between June 24 and October 7, 2008 under the title Otoboku: Maidens Are Falling For Me!.
An anime adaptation of Otoboku 2 was announced in December 2010.
Audio CDs
Seven drama CDsRadio drama in Japan
Radio drama in Japan has a history as long as that of radio broadcasting in that country, which began in 1925. Some consider the first Japanese radio drama to have been "" which was a radio broadcast of a stage play. Others consider the Japanese translation of Richard Hughes's "Danger" or to be...
have been released based on the series: one based on the visual novel released on September 22, 2005, four based from the anime adaptation and released between October 25, 2006 and April 11, 2007, one based from the novel Sakura no Sono no Étoile released on January 29, 2010, and one based from a special episode contained in the fandisc Caramel Box Yarukibako
Caramel Box Yarukibako
is a fan disc of the works developed by Caramel Box released on June 24, 2005 in Japan. was released on January 26, 2007 due to the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru anime series which aired in late 2006 which made fans of the series hope that Yarukibako would be re-released.The second fan disc was...
with voice actors from anime adaptation released on January 29, 2010.
The original soundtrack for the visual novel entitled Maiden's Rest was released in Japan on February 25, 2005 by Digiturbo. An album was released containing theme songs for the PC version of Otoboku 2 on May 26, 2010 by Lantis
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
. A single was released for the PSP version of Otoboku 2 on April 27, 2011 by Lantis.
Two singles were released for the opening and ending themes for the anime adaptation. The first called "Love Power" by Aice5
Aice5
is an all-female Japanese J-pop group that comprises five Japanese voice actresses: Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi, Akemi Kanda, Masumi Asano and Madoka Kimura. Yui Horie founded the group on October 29, 2005...
contained the opening theme of the same name. The other single entitled "Again" by Yui Sakakibara
Yui Sakakibara
, is a female Japanese choreographer, dancer, singer, songwriter, and voice actress from Hyōgo, Japan. She appeared on Kōhaku Uta Gassen as back ground dancer behind Ami Suzuki in 1999 and 2000. She used to use the name and others in her previous voices...
contained the ending theme entitled "Beautiful Day". The A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
track from that single entitled "Again" was used as an insert song in episode eleven. Both singles were released on October 25, 2006 by King Records. The soundtrack for the anime was released on November 22, 2006 by King Records. Three character image song
Image song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
albums were released sung by voice actors
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
from the anime adaptation. The first album was by Yui Horie
Yui Horie
is a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She is sometimes affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.She hosts a radio show called and is the founding member of the singing group, Aice5. She is also a member of the band Kurobara Hozonkai, with the name YUIEL...
as Mizuho Miyanokouji, Miyu Matsuki
Miyu Matsuki
is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Hiroshima Japan.-Anime cast in:*Ayakashi as Hime Yakushiji*ARIA The NATURAL as Ayano *Binchō-tan as Pukashuu*Claymore as Flora*D.C. ~Da Capo~ as Yoriko Sagisawa*D.C.S.S...
as Sion Jujo and Masumi Asano
Masumi Asano
is a Japanese voice actress from Noshiro, Akita who works for Aoni Production. She is also known by her nickname, Masumin.- Notable voice roles :Anime* Saga in A Little Snow Fairy Sugar...
as Mariya Mikado. The second album featured Ayano Matsumoto as Yukari Kamioka, Akemi Kanda
Akemi Kanda
is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Aoni Production. She was formerly a member of the voice actor unit DROPS, which included fellow voice actors Ai Nonaka, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi, and of the voice actor unit Aice5 along with Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi,...
as Kana Suoin and Yuko Goto
Yuko Goto
is a Japanese voice actress who works for Production Baobab. In direct contrast to her cute-and-vulnerable moé typecasting, Yūko in real life is a devotee of biker culture who dresses and acts as such when not working, right down to her motorcycle...
as Ichiko Takashima. The third and final album was recorded by Chiaki Takahashi
Chiaki Takahashi (actress)
is a Japanese voice actress. Her hometown is Yokohama, Japan. On October 10, 2000, she changed the kanji lettering of her name, though the pronunciation remains the same. She was a member of the J-pop group Aice5 as well. Currently freelance , she was previously represented by Aoni Production and...
as Takako Itsukushima, Madoka Kimura
Madoka Kimura
is a Japanese voice actress and singer working for Production Baobab.- Notable voice roles :* Kimie Sugawara in Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru* Yuuna Akashi in Negima!* Miki Tachibana in Night Head Genesis...
as Kimie Sugawara and Yui Sakakibara
Yui Sakakibara
, is a female Japanese choreographer, dancer, singer, songwriter, and voice actress from Hyōgo, Japan. She appeared on Kōhaku Uta Gassen as back ground dancer behind Ami Suzuki in 1999 and 2000. She used to use the name and others in her previous voices...
as Hisako Kajiura. These CDs were released between July 26 and September 21, 2006.
Reception
According to a national ranking of how well bishōjo gameBishojo game
A , or , is "a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive anime-style girls". These games are a sub-genre of dating sims targeted towards a male audience....
s sold nationally in Japan, the Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru limited edition PC release premiered at number two in the rankings. The limited edition achieved a ranking of four out of fifty in the ranking for the next two weeks. The regular edition PC release premiered at number six in the rankings, and stayed in the top fifty for a month and a half until mid-April 2005. The regular edition was again in the rankings for May 2005, managing to rank in at thirty-eight and forty-nine. The Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru PC edition playable as a DVD premiered at number thirteen in the rankings and stayed at that rank for the next listing. The DVD edition ranked twice more over the next month: the first at forty-three and the last at thirty-three.
The first two anime DVD volumes released by Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
were reviewed by Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
. In the review of the first DVD, the reviewer Carl Kimlinger generally panned the volume, commenting how the three episodes were "cruelly unimaginative" where "afterwards it's one long slide into a torturous hell of girls' school tripe where not even humor or romance can pierce the veil of pain." The Catholic girl's school premise is likened to Maria-sama ga Miteru
Maria-sama ga Miteru
, often shortened to , is a series of Japanese light novels written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Reine Hibiki. The series focuses on a group of teenage girls attending Lillian Catholic school for girls in Tokyo, Japan. Its storyline largely revolves around the lives and close relationships of...
and Strawberry Panic!
Strawberry Panic!
is a series of Japanese fictional illustrated short stories written by Sakurako Kimino, which focus on a group of teenage girls attending three affiliated all-girl schools on Astraea Hill. A common theme throughout the stories is the intimate lesbian relationships between the characters...
, and is considered to be used "merely as visual spice." For the second DVD volume, Kimlinger wrote that "while the onslaught of squealing, caffeinated moe-bait has abated somewhat in its ferocity, a sagging of the already listlessly undirected plot ensures that the series' sophomore outing is only marginally more tolerable than the first." Further, the series is described as having "obnoxious quirks and technical shortcomings."
The first two anime DVD volumes released by Media Blasters were also reviewed by Mania Entertainment. In the review of the first DVD, the reviewer Chris Beveridge felt the anime reminded him of "parts of Princess Princess
Princess Princess (manga)
is the title of a fictional series written and illustrated by Japanese author Mikiyo Tsuda about the lives of three high school boys and the school they attend. The series is contained within multiple media pieces which began as a manga first serialized in the manga magazine Wings starting in 2002...
, especially when it came to the Elder status piece. It's even reminiscent of Strawberry Panic in this way." The series is described as "all about the "moe" factor, bringing about an atmosphere that makes you like the characters, care about them and feel good about seeing them interact. It does it well even if it doesn’t have an amazing hook." For the second DVD volume, Beveridge commented that the series continues to be "very predictable and bland" which is "at this point fun but entirely forgettable." Beveridge also wrote how "the characters are all pleasant, nicely designed and with mildly interesting personalities that could lead to something more but never does."
External links
- Otoboku
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