2018 Licensing Survey Results and More~

Sorry for the wait everyone! Things have been a little busier than usual here at the beginning of the year with our first Kickstarter running right now (among other things ;D). But we’ve heard your voices and without further ado: the 2018 licensing survey results!

Our results honestly have been surprisingly consistent for the last few years. We had over 9,000 responses this time, up a little from last year. Our audience has gotten a little older as well, with over 44% over 25 and only 51% in the 18-24 bracket (55% last year). We got fewer responses from women this year down to 25% from almost 30% last year, likely more of a sampling issue than anything considering the fluctuation over the past few years. One of our new questions this year was about non-English language usage. Perhaps unsurprisingly the most common non-English language used by our respondents was Japanese with 32% of users reporting some degree of fluency with the language. Spanish, German, and Russian were the most used non-English languages respectively.

More people have bought over 6 visual novels in the past year now at 37% of respondents (up from 33%), although the proportion bought directly from us was almost identical to last year (spookie!). Steam on the other hand solidify its popularity as a platform for consuming visual novels.

But enough about statistics, here’s what you’re all really here for, the top 20 licensing requests:

  1. Rance Series

  2. A Kiss for the Petals Series ↑5

  3. White Album 2

  4. Fate/Stay Night ↑6

  5. Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm ↑16

  6. Sakura no Uta ↑13

  7. Youkoso! Sukebe Elf no Mori e NEW!

  8. Diabolik Lovers Series ↓2

  9. Soukou Akki Muramasa ↑15

  10. Ken ga Kimi ↑14

  11. Kotonoha Amrilato NEW!

  12. Mahotsukai no Yoru ↓8

  13. Daiteitoku ↑19

  14. Aiyoku no Eustia ↓4

  15. Yoshiwara Higanbana NEW!

  16. Jooubachi no Oubou NEW!

  17. Bunny Black Series NEW!

  18. Amayui Castle Meister NEW!

  19. Shin Koihime Musou ↓17

  20. DRAMAtical Murder

What stands out most this year from the top 20 is that four otome games/series have made it into the top 20. Rance retained the top spot with the A Kiss for the Petals series continuing strong, along with the appearance of another yuri title in the top 20.

If you gave us your email for the Sorcery Jokers drawing, check your email tonight to see if you got lucky! And come visit us at Anime Boston and Sakuracon this weekend if you’re in the area!

Bookmark the permalink.

56 Comments

  1. How many years has White Album 2 been near the top of these things? It’s definitely my most wanted unTLed VN along with Muramasa, Himawari Aqua After, and SakuUta. Hopefully it gets localized by either you guys or another company that has high quality translators, despite how much the license apparently costs.

  2. Quof, vote spamming for Sukebe elves is not nice.

  3. Soukou Akki Muramasa is the visual novel I’ve most wanted to be translated for years now. Hope you guys can do it!

    • Sorry man. I doubt anybody is gonna pry Nitroplus away from JAST. You’ll have to wait for the next century to see a Muramasa release.

    • It’s not quite absolutely impossible, but it’s severely unlikely since JAST is connected so deeply with Nitroplus.

      • IIRC there was at least a few members of JAST working on it for a while but they dropped it at some point. Would be nice to see it get translated, just gotta keep on hoping, I guess.

    • Jast hasn’t released a vn I’ve coveted since Seinarukana. Even Sekai at least has Baldr Sky, censored (maimed) or not.

  4. it’s nice to see a influx of R18 otome, specially Jooubachi no Oubou that it was one of my choices (together with Ken Ga Kimi ^^)
    tho i was kinda hoping to see Torikago no Marriage on the list since it was a game made by Kalmia8 and a few years back even got a Vita port

  5. Surprised to see Bunny Black and Amayui Castle Meister make it to the top 20.
    I guess after the translation of the Rance series more people started wanting their RPG/medieval fantasy fix. Also surprised to see Youkoso! Sukebe Elf no Mori e make it to number seven. I more or less voted for that one as a joke. I thought only a small but vocal minority wanted it. The rest of the results seem pretty standard. Still don’t get why people keep asking for Fate/Stay Night though. That one has already been translated a dozen times over (not to mention all the adaptions it’s gotten). Was hoping for the Choukou Tenshi/(Beat) series to be more requested due to the Alicesoft connection but I guess there’s always next year.

    • Fat’e only been translated once as a VN. Cross Channel on the other hand sits as the king of most translations for a single title at 3. And all of them are bad.

    • Fate/Stay Night has 1 fan translation and it’s really old and below average made by someone that first language wasn’t english, considering how popular the adaptations and spins off are, there is a huge demand for a better and official english translation

    • Agreed. I’m plenty satisfied Fate universe-wise with Fate/Grand Order.

  6. White Album 2 please.

  7. I would like to see more masterpiece of Sei Shoujo here in the West, like PA or Closed Game! or Astronaut Sirius Games like Demonium, Dungeons of Regalias!

  8. Shin Koihime Musou is currently being fan translated though. I’d feel bad for that team if it gets taken from them just like that.

    • I wouldn’t. Their “translator” has stated he doesn’t know Japanese but he watched a lot of anime and so he understands what the characters are saying. if that inspires confidence in you, great. It makes me wish they would have given up ages ago and not wasted their time on what’s likely to be a trainwreck.

    • If MG does give Koihime another shot (assuming Baseson’s interested) then it might be better for MG to just skip over to the Eiyuutan games as they’re each expanded remakes of each scenario of Shin Koihime Musou.

      • I agree. After being away from the VN scene a few years, I just recently found out about the Eiyuutan versions myself and thats why I’m looking at this blog post monyhs after. I’d love to see the newest versions over the older release.

  9. GIVE US KEN GA KIMI

    GIVE US KEN GA KIMI!!!!!!

  10. I’m glad to see more otome making it into highly requested territory! I hope that is a good indication that we’ll be seeing more otome brought over by you guys, r18+ or otherwise. ^_^

  11. I always like to see more yuri on the list, even though it is only one more entry. I am one of the people who prefers to buy directly from MG as opposed to Steam, so keep those exclusives and the dual sale titles coming. Even the AA stuff I’d rather get from here. You do great work.

  12. There are hints here, and if i’m right they are for Sakura No Mori.

  13. Some day Ao no Kanata will receive a translation… And would be BETTER if you guys licence the vn!

  14. Whoa Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm is near the top, I feel like this might be the most reasonable one near the top. The others they have already invested in or probably cost a billion dollars. Sakura no uta would be nice too. I don’t think that one is out of reach either.

  15. Thank you so much! Could you also mention what individual Rance titles were voted for most? I’m really curious!

    • I’m a bit curious as to how votes for 2 or 3 different Rance games by one person are processed in the survey. Do they count as multiple votes for the Rance series or only one?

  16. No Ikusa Megami series?
    Too bad..

  17. Is the “lucky” hint Luckydog1?

  18. Rance series still at the top I can still dream with Rance 03 and IX translated
    /haniho/ never give up

    • Oh IX. I really, really want this one, almost enough to try learning Japanese. If Mangagamer brings it out, I wouldn’t mind building a Mangagamer shrine to kneel before one hour per day.

  19. Otoboku 2 pls?

  20. >Kindred Spirits on the Roof is nowhere to be seen
    am sad. No full voice for lesbian ghosts on the roof

    • I wasn’t even aware that there was a new version in Japan until I saw your comment. It might just need more people mentioning it in the comments of next year’s licensing survey. I’m convinced that helped Youkoso! Sukebe Elf no Mori e this year.

  21. oh boy i can feel my boy rance coming to me

  22. Not enough lolicon hints.

  23. now i know dmmd being last is a fucking lie i would sell my first born child for that fucking game to get localized dont play with fangirls and their money ur seriously underestimating that investment guys xD

  24. Glad that the Amayui Castle Meister showed. Hopefully it will help get licensing for the other meister games. Too bad Shukufuku no Campanella or Fortune Arterial didn’t make it though. The animes for those two were good and I was hoping to see their games.

  25. Nice, Bunny Black and Amayui Castle Meister made the list despite me voting for Himegari Dungeon Meister instead. I am still a bit curious as to which Alicesoft title would be the most requested after Daiteikoku.

    • As long as they get one, we’ll have a chance to get another meister some time later. And YES! for Bunny Black <3

  26. Not to put anyone down or anything but I think MangaGamer should exclude votes for titles who’s translation rights are held/owned by other companies. IMO A top 20 list would be more meaningful if it only included titles which actually have a chance of being translated.

  27. I always bought games in steam because where i live. There is more easy for me.
    And wow this otome game is very dangerous, i have sure that girls in this side of globe no will like this game, Jooubachi no Oubou, so i don’t recommend this for otome audience.

  28. Honestly, many great titles on here but it just makes me wonder, since many of these are popular, do people even bother researching VNs or just pick something more popular and likeable to be a quick vote? You have here someone who can bring you any unknown GEM mistakenly thrown in a back alley trash bin of Japan, that would’ve been more popular had it seen the light of day. And now it has a chance to see that same light of day in different countries.. And you just vote for the most known stuff…

  29. hirahoopdidisaypoop

    Where’s Fraternite?

  30. Kyonyuu/Funbag Fantasy Gaiden 2 would be nice too.

  31. PLEASE Diabolik Lovers gets localized! I’ve been waiting for YEARS for its localization!

  32. Pingback: The State of Otome Games in 2021 Part 2: Otome Developers – nonplayergirl

Leave a Reply to AlterCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.