I have never played an otome game before, didn’t even know that was a category with a name, but I very much enjoyed this game when I first played it years and years ago.
With multiple paths through the school year, determined both by romance choices and academic ones, there is a great depth to the stories of your PC’s freshman year and magic school. Each playthrough takes an hour or two, and multiple passes are rewarded.
I am so glad to hear that given that I grabbed this game on sale sometime this year (I got it on Steam), thinking I’d like it from the description and my enjoyment of Long Live the Queen by the same devs.
Romance seems to be a significant part of the game, and a woman can be the player character, so I’m gonna count this as otome! Thanks for the info about playthrough time.