Anime Corner had the chance to get a short run-down with author Yomu Mishima about his novel Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Is Though for Mobs (aka MobSeka). The story revolves around Leon, who reincarnated into the weird and wacky world of an otome game. He plans to be an NPC, who doesn’t get involved in any main character stuff. Spoiler: his plan fails. The novel, which features illustrations by Monda, was turned into an anime last year and a second season has already been announced.
Q: What inspired you to write the story of Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Is Tough for Mobs?
A: I started writing stories for women on a novel submission website that I use, because ‘villainess stories’ were becoming more and more prominent.
I read them and found them interesting, so I thought it might be interesting to write a story for men., so I started to create a plot.
Q: Do you personally play otome games? What other games do you play?
A: I was going to play otome games. However, I gave up when I found out that ‘villainesses don’t often appear in otome games’. In terms of games, I have recently been playing craft-based games.
Q: If you could pick, would you rather be the protagonist or an NPC?
A: It depends on the work, but I suppose I would be an NPC.
Q: Many people now believe that we are living in a simulation, do you agree or disagree?
A: In the current lack of clear evidence, I would have to take the opposite position.
Q: Your protagonist, Leon, is a rather controversial anti-hero type character in the story. How did you develop him? What do you like the most and the least about him?
A: I want Leon to eventually break free of his anti-hero status and become a hero. To achieve this, I have depicted his spiritual growth in the story. As an author, my favorite part of Leon is that he is full of action when he makes decisions. The part I dislike is that it is difficult to write romantic scenes with the heroines because Leon is not a character suitable for a harem.
Q: If you were in the same school as Leon, would you be his friend or despise him?
A: When I created the character of Leon, my priority was that he would be an interesting guy to have as a friend. So I would like to be friends with him.
Q: If you could reincarnate in another world, what would that world be like?
A: I would be delighted if it was a world similar to the real world, but more peaceful.
Q: What are your favorite anime, manga, or light novels?
A: My recent favorite is the manga Versus, original by ONE.
Q: What determines whether a story is good or bad?
A: It’s whether the reader enjoyed it or not.
Q: Do you think artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, will influence storytelling in the industry?
Yomu Mishima: I think artificial intelligence will have an impact. However, I also expect that when artificial intelligence starts writing fiction, it will be biased towards generally pleasing works for a large audience. Then our own future work may be to write novels for a small number of readers who are not satisfied with the novels of artificial intelligence.
Q: What advice would you give to new aspiring writers?
A: Write before you learn. Learn while you write, okay?
Yomu Mishima is also known under his pseudonym Wai, which he used in the past. Besides Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs, he is also known for Seventh, I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! and more.
Big thanks to Mishima-san for agreeing to this interview! We can’t wait to see where MobSeka goes in the future. Make sure to follow the author on Twitter/X.
© Yomu Mishima / Micro Magazine
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