ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to understand the specific allure of the Shinsengumi as otome game subject material, as well as its growing popularity outside its own national cultural context. Otome titles are specifically created for a female target demographic, allowing the player to date from a cast of characters that are usually male. Interestingly, many otome titles seem to follow a similar set of stereotypes when describing the Shinsengumi members as love interests to potential players. While plenty of scholarship exists on the emergence of otome games and their established market in the East, there is much less to be found on the upswing of consumption in these games for the Western audience. In the case of international otome consumers and the consumption of the Shinsengumi narrative, the structure of the stories as Romantic Historicals as well as the nature with which a player engages with otome games proves an interesting combination.
