Post 4: Secrets Behind Otome Game Magazines

 Reading is one of the leisurely activities that have seemed to go along with the progress of technology. Reading is of course first and foremost an activity centered in learning. We gain knowledge and information. And, there are different materials that are used by reading to bring useful information in our daily lives. One of the widely accessible material is by the used of magazines.

I start collecting my favorite magazines when I am still young like K-zone, Candy, and Otaku( anime magazine) as one of my hobbies. These magazines provided my interests on specific topics in loved. I can also say that the popularity of magazines have a huge use effect throughout the world, and there are so many different magazines available that everyone is sure to find one that appeals their tastes.

And recently, being addicted in otome games I started thinking if there is some kind of magazines all about otome games and I came a crossed about the article by Reveris called “TheDifferent Otome Gaming Magazines and What’s in Them”, an article that talked about the different kinds of otome gaming magazines and informed the readers of which otome game they want to buy. 

Here are the different kinds of otome game magazines that are presented to informed on which kind magazines for the otome gamer they want to buy which can be found in the article:

• ·     Dengeki Girl’s Style –  this magazines consist of basic information that provides an avid otome gamer might want. Have articles on some anime that are popular with girls and also includes news from games and CD dramas, to novels and manga. More substantial than B’s Log magazine because it provides more information and announcements for some events in Japan that are related to certain games.

• ·         B’s Log – a monthly magazine that covers up the upcoming otome games, BL games, yaoi games, and otome anime. It consists more information about otome news than BL news and visual novels/misc game news. And lastly, contains with freebies news all about in female-oriented merchandise.

• ·         Cool-B – a more matured BL magazine that consist of R18 games’ NSFW CG samples or artworks. Aimed for females who are really fans of boy’s love or yaoi. Also, considered to be one of the otome game magazine because it also contains information about otome games . 

• ·         Cool-B Sweet Princess – a seasonal magazine that published every once in three months or like a half a year issue. Just like Cool-B magazine it also consist of R18 images but the nice thing about this magazine was, it contains of CD with wallpapers, demos, Ops for the games featured in every issue and also the beautiful artworks that other magazines don’t have.

• ·         Cool-B Bitter Princess – features only R18 games and released once per year in unpredictable month of release.

On this article I have noticed that every otome game magazines have information or news about BL(Boy’s Love) or yaoi. I know some of my friends are fans of this genres. I personally never liked BL/yaoi, but at the same time I don’t mind sexuality but why is BL so addicting for girls? I only know that some of the girls didn't like the female protagonist in anime, mangas or games and also they go beyond to the content of the story of being have more sweeter romantic relationship than to a real boy-to-girl relationship.

As I searched for further understanding about my question, I found an article written by Eliza Strickland called “Drawn Together”, on this article I discovered that women in past were surprised about the idea of man-on-man relationship and instead it was curiosity that lead them to see, read, and think about the man-on-man version.

In general, different  ideas in relationship has developed especially the popularity of bisexual relationship that generated increased interest in public. Like yaois that gains visibility in the genres like anime, manga, games and otome game magazines that provides satisfaction among female fans.