English Dub Review: Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games Is Tough for Mobs “Let’s Duel, Prince”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

It’s revealed that Marie is sneaking around with all of Prince Julius’ friends. Angelica finds out and makes a scene, which causes Julius to break their engagement. Angelica then challenges Marie to a duel, which Julius and his friends accept on her behalf. Leon volunteers to be Angelica’s champion and agrees to face all five opponents alone.

Our Take:

This episode is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I figured something was strange about Marie. However, I didn’t expect that she would be trying to get with all of the prince’s friends. Not only that, but it is also established that she’s not originally from this world either. She doesn’t know Leon was reincarnated into this world, but I suspect that will come up in the future.

The new facts about Marie are interesting, as are some of Leon’s actions. I expected him to duel on Angelica’s behalf, but I didn’t expect him to be as confident as he is. I also didn’t expect Angelica to agree so easily. Sure, she does tell him he doesn’t have to fight for her. However, that’s more of a suggestion than an outright refusal. Even so, she’s surprisingly kind to Leon. I guess I just expect her to be mean given how she treats Marie, so I’m not used to her kinder side.

Other than those points, this episode plays it pretty safe. Most of the other ladies are rude to Leon and his friends as usual. Even Leon’s own sister cares more about her own image than her what happens to her brother. I understand that women hold all of the power in this world, but seeing so many characters act the same way just gets boring.

I can say the same about the prince and his entourage. I’m still waiting for any of them to stand out amongst the crowd. Their personalities still haven’t been well established and they all blend together for me. I’m hoping this will be remedied when they face Leon individually. That should be a good way to differentiate the members of the group.

All in all, this episode sets up more plot points just fine and we do get more insight on who Marie is. However, the character tropes are already starting to get old. I’m hoping that the actual duel will put the show on the right track.