Some anime are instant hits, while others gradually pick up steam as they move along. Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Is Tough for Mobs was one of those series when it aired in 2022, and it garnered enough positivity to warrant an eventual sequel.
After unenthusiastically blasting his way through an otome game set in a world dominated by women, the protagonist stumbles down a flight of stairs and reincarnates inside the dating sim. Once he regains his memories, Leon sets out to use his knowledge of the game to attend a prestige academy and lead an uneventful but enjoyable life as a mob character. Naturally, the latter does not happen.
Those who enjoy this funny addition to the isekai genre should make sure to check out a few other anime like Trapped in a Dating Sim.
Updated on December 29, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Trapped in a Dating Sim season 2 is confirmed to be in production, although a release period has yet to be confirmed. Hopefully, it will happen in 2025. In the meantime, fans can check out some isekai anime similar to Trapped in a Dating Sim.
My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead To Doom!
A Good Entry-Level Otome Game Isekai Anime
What’s worse than reincarnating as a nothing character? Becoming a game’s main villain. Although there are many isekai anime set in games, few go down the dating sim route; in fact, prior to Leon’s animated misadventure, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! was the outlier in the subgenre.
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Similar to Trapped in a Dating Sim, My Next Life as a Villainess features a protagonist who regains their memories of a past life that reveals they are currently living through an otome game. In this case, Catarina realizes that she has been programmed for a bad ending, a fate she quickly sets out to change. Packed with humor and lovable characters, this series is a delight, particularly the first season.
The Rising Of The Shield Hero
Different Takes On Inequality
Currently airing alongside Trapped in a Dating Sim, The Rising of the Shield Hero is a more conventional example of an action-driven isekai anime. Naofumi Iwatani is summoned to a fantasy world as one of its four heroes, a situation that quickly goes sideways when he is framed for a crime and left with nothing to his name, besides a bad reputation.
While they use wildly different methods to explore their themes, Trapped in a Dating Sim and The Rising of the Shield Hero both envision societies defined by inequality, be it through gender or class. Leon and Naofumi are isolated figures who challenge the status quo while accumulating a harem in the process.
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!
The Ultimate Isekai Comedy
Trapped in a Dating Sim is not a full-blown comedy, but it certainly appreciates a hearty laugh. Leon’s “arroganz” drives most of the humor, and the series is fond of a bit of slapstick. In the realm of comedy isekai anime, KonoSuba is the gold standard, and Kazuma is cut from the same MC cloth as Leon.
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Both characters approach their respective situations with a mix of pessimism, bluntness, and a hint of vindictiveness. Leon is a bit more overtly generous than Kazuma, although the latter is still generally a decent person. KonoSuba parodies elements synonymous with isekai stories, taking shots at harem tropes and overused MMO conventions.
Knight’s & Magic
Isekai And Mecha Goodness
Knight’s & Magic
- Release Date
-
July 2, 2017
- Studio
-
8bit
- Based On
-
Novel & Light Novel
- Creator
-
Hisago Amazake-no
It would be inaccurate to describe Trapped in a Dating Sim as a mecha series, however, some of the anime’s best episodes revolve around massive robots battling it out in an arena. The show is set in a world built upon a blend of magic and technology, and while neither of these aspects has been explored in detail so far, they add flavor to the overall narrative.
Knight’s & Magic takes this idea and runs with it, although this isekai anime is more interested in mecha than magic. A programmer, Eru, is reborn into a world that allows him to bring all of his robotic dreams to life.
The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?
Born Into Similar Family Situations
The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? is not a particularly good show; in fact, it is underwhelming even by the isekai genre’s fairly low standards. However, this show shares too many similarities with Trapped in a Dating Sim to not mention it.
For one, both protagonists are reincarnated as the youngest children in big, struggling families that see them as unimportant burdens. Secondly, like Leon, The 8th Son‘s Wendelin is powerful, and he uses his affinity for magic to overcome any challenges and prove everyone wrong. Lastly, they acquire female companions who mostly provide moral support. Trapped in a Dating Sim handles all of these ideas better than The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?, but they are still present in the latter.
Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord
Train Hard And Try To Remain A Background Character
Featuring one of 2024’s most OP isekai MCs, Villainess Level 99 is a delight and a worthwhile addition to the otome game subgenre that has been pretty popular since roughly 2020. Yumiella makes this show, and she is just as charming as Trapped in a Dating Sim‘s Leon. Both characters also go through somewhat similar journeys.
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They end up in otome games, albeit Leon as a mob character and Yumiella as the secret hidden boss. Determined to protect themselves, they both use their knowledge of this universe to get ahead, even if they do not take the same route. Now attending prestigious academies, they mostly want to keep out of trouble, but they just cannot help but become the center of attention.
The Eminence In Shadow
A Mob Character In The Light, And The Ultimate String Puller In The Shadow
The Eminence in Shadow
- Japanese Title
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Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!
- Release Date
-
October 5, 2022
- Studio
-
Nexus
- Based On
-
Light Novel
- Creator
-
Daisuke Aizawa
Trapped in a Dating Sim casts Leon as a mob character in an otome game, so he is pretty much designed not to leave an impression. Obviously, he ends up attracting attention despite his attempts to keep a low profile. The Eminence in Shadow is kind of similar. Cid wants to be the puppet master who pulls society’s strings, working from the darkness to ensure justice is forever served. In public, he wants to seem as average as possible. He tries this on Earth but ends up dying before accomplishing much; fortunately, he is reborn in a fantasy world, and he is granted the magical power to leave out his fantasies.
Similar to Trapped in a Dating Sim, The Eminence in Shadow has a lot of fun juxtapositioning Cid’s “weak” public persona with his true overpowered self, and this situation serves as the main source of humor throughout both seasons. While both anime are comedies, The Eminence in Shadow is just a straight-up isekai parody, much more so than Trapped in a Dating Sim, and the show’s focus is always on delivering laughs.
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