The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs (Otomegē Sekai wa Mobu ni Kibishii Sekai Desu, also known as Mobuseka for convenience) is a Shounen Isekai Light Novel series written by Yomu Mishima and illustrated by Monda. Originally a Web Serial Novel that ran from 2017 to 2019, it was later published by GC Novels from 2018 to 2024 for 13 volumes. A manga adaptation by Jun Shiosato began serialization in 2018 in Nico Nico Seiga, later moving to Monthly Dragon Age in 2022.
The story follows a Japanese salaryman who died of exhaustion after being blackmailed into playing an Otome Game for two days straight by his bratty little sister. Reborn as Leon Fou Bartfort, a mob
(background Non-Player Character) from a low-ranking noble family, he regains his memories at age five and decides to live a simple life away from the game's plot.
After obtaining the help of his paid item, the snarky Robot Buddy Luxion ten years later, Leon finds himself at his kingdom's Royal Academy, where the otome game plot takes place. While keeping his distance, Leon notices something is seriously wrong: there is another reincarnator, a girl named Marie, who is also a mob, and she's been seducing the dateable cast by acting like the game heroine, pushing her to the side. Meanwhile, Leon makes the seemingly insignificant decision to lend a hand to said heroine, the only commoner in the academy, Olivia. Being fed up with his unfair treatment by the other nobles, and seeing the game's supposed villainess, Angelica Redgrave, mistreated and falsely accused, prompts Leon to vent his rage at Marie and her Reverse Harem, causing the game plot to go completely Off the Rails. As a result, it is up to Leon and his friends to prevent the Kingdom being destroyed by the game's Final Boss.
As the result of a fan poll, the novel's author created a spinoff released as a survey bonus with ten parts and counting: Marie Route Side Story. A What If? tale of if Leon had interrupted Marie's plans before they began. In this Alternate Timeline, the two focus on improving their otome game world lives together, leaving their main story Love Interests to their own devices, which ends up having dark repercussions. This spinoff would later get its own official novel with expanded content, titled That Otome Games is a Tough World for Us, with the first published volume being released on December 28, 2022 in Japan.
There is also a series of short stories dealing with Leon meeting Distaff Counterpart of characters after taking sleep medication tampered with by the Covert Pervert A.I. Cleare.
Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the novels, and manga adaptation in English. They would later bring That Otome Games is a Tough World for Us under the title Trapped in a Dating Sim: Otome Games Are Tough For Us, Too! in 2024.
An anime adaptation was announced for an April 2022 release and premiered on April 3. It is currently available outside Japan on Crunchyroll. In late December 2022, a second season was announced to be in the works.
The original web novel can be read in Japanese at Shousetsuka ni Narou.
Dream Side Story tropes belong in its sections below the main one. Marie Route/Otome Games Are Tough For Us, Too! tropes will be found on its own page.
This series provides examples of:
The It Was All Just A Dream Side Story provides examples of:
- All Just a Dream: As invoked in the first story’s title. Only the beginning of the first story in the series, where Leon takes the medication, is anything but a (seemingly hallucinogen induced) dream.
- Closet Key: Linette to Angie and Livia coming out as lesbians (making an exception for Leon). It’s because Linette seems exactly like a female version of Leon.
- Distaff Counterpart: Linette for Leon, Lucria for Luxion, and later the five idiot’s younger sisters, for each of them.
- Dream Episode: This side story as a whole.
- Dream Within a Dream: The dream ends with Luxion mentioning the five idiot's younger sisters Leon is due to meet, leaving it ambigous as to whether its still part of the dream, like in the web novel's Nightmare SS series, or if the sisters are Canon Immigrant.
- Erotic Dream: The encounter of Linette with Angie and Livia heads towards this direction. Marie acts as Moment Killer.
- Everyone Has Standards: When Milene for some reason turned into a timid little girl, Roland's first reaction is try to tease her as a petty revenge because he can't beat her any argument as an adult. After Leon's violent reaction when he saw Roland, he immediately tried to use his authority to arrest Leon for attacking him, but the Royal guards, who were disgusted by Roland's pettiness and mistaken his intention instead handcuffs and hauls him out of the room.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Virtually anything Leon says or does triggers Lucria’s.
- Hypocritical Humor: Lucria castigating Leon for asking Linette to call him onii-chan, while she calls Luxion onii-chan herself.
- If It's You, It's Okay: Angie and Livia say that they’re lesbians, but love Leon in spite of that.
- If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: Lucria repeatedly threatens Leon to this effect, trying to protect Linette from his womanizing.
- Like Brother and Sister: Leon rather likes the idea of Linette calling him onii-chan (big brother). Luxion mocks him for it. Lucria also calls Luxion onii-chan, which Leon points out, since Luxion created her, she should be calling him father.
- Mushroom Samba: Luxion doesn’t quite get the chance to name the side effects of the sleep medication Leon takes, but it’s likely a hallucinogen. The explanation Luxion gives at the end of the first story is still part of the dream, despite Leon waking up.
- No Bisexuals: The way Angie and Livia are framed as not liking men, but somehow liking Leon despite that, seems to suggest the author doesn’t understand the concept of bisexuality.
- Pretender Diss: Marie gets angry due to Linette calling Leon onii-chan, since she’s Leon’s real little sister, and she should be the one getting spoiled by him.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Linette to Leon, being his cousin. Angie and Livia really like this.
- Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: Lucria looks just like Luxion, but… wearing a bow.
- Tomboy: Linette, who was acting formal due to Leon’s higher rank, gives off the vibe of a sporty tomboy after letting her guard down.
