Sunshine Smiles & Wild Adventures – Aries love interests are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, feel all warm and fuzzy inside, or a combination of both – as they capture your heart with their sweet adoration and dorky sense of humour…

Previous posts in the Zodiac Reviews series: Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

In our Zodiac Reviews series, we look at otome love interests who share the same star sign, and investigate the potential existence of astrology-based character archetypes.

In the eleventh instalment of this series, we’ll be exploring the traits and tropes shared by characters with birthdays between 20th March to 19th April; in other words, Aries – the sign of the ram…

Aries Love Interests

Ray Blackwell | Ikemen Revolution

☆ Birthday: 23rd March
☆ Tropes: Ouji-sama / Deredere / Onii-san

Ikemen Revolution’s poster boy who loves cats and leads his rebel army of misfits with compassion and a calm, kind demeanour – Ray is a sweet, dependable love interest and consistently a fan favourite. If you’re looking for a fairy tale romance with an endearing, prince-like character, then you’ll find what you’re looking for in Ray Blackwell.

Vincent Van Gogh | Ikemen Vampire

☆ Birthday: 30th March
☆ Tropes: Deredere / Onii-san

The absolute epitome of sunshine incarnate – Ikemen Vampire’s Vincent Van Gogh is so sweet he gives me toothache. He’s one of those love interests who’s such an angelic, pure-hearted cinnamon roll that you can’t help but want to protect the innocent baby. Although, he doesn’t really need protecting, as Vincent happens to be supernaturally strong, and there’s more emotional depth than initially meets the eye when it comes to this soothing, sweet-hearted artist…

Oliver Knight | Ikemen Revolution

☆ Birthday: 5th April
☆ Tropes: Shota / Tensai / Tsundere

Oliver isn’t so much a ‘sunshine smile’ type, as an ‘eccentric adventurer’ – he’s Ikemen Revolution’s take on the ‘Mad Hatter’ from the beloved ‘Alice in Wonderland’ tales, and he’s far too tsundere to be a deredere. However, his route is still full of warm and fuzzy feelings, as this sarcastic ‘knight-in-shining-armour’ picks you up, slings you over his shoulder, and carries you off onto an exciting adventure of wacky inventions and bizarre hijinks…

Leviathan | Obey Me!

☆ Birthday: 9th April
☆ Tropes: Tsundere / Dandere / Otaku

Obey Me’s Leviathan may be a prickly tsundere, but he’s also an adorable dork who makes your heart burst with affection whenever he blushes. Despite his insistence that he would never be seen with a ‘normie’ like you, Levi is actually an incredibly sweet character, and his awkward charm only makes him more endearing…

Sarutobi Sasuke | Ikemen Sengoku

☆ Birthday: 10th April
☆ Tropes: Deredere / Megane / Sensei

Sarutobi Sasuke is a breath of fresh, feminist air in an era of war and absolutely no understanding of modern concepts like ‘dating’ and ‘consent’. Ikemen Sengoku is littered with problematic faves, but Sasuke is not one of them. He’s reliable, a ‘moderately awesome ninja’, and your bestie from the 21st century, who always has your back, even when you’re not sure how you’ll survive in an era so dissimilar to your own.

He’s also hilarious, frequently making jokes that reference pop culture that only the two of you can understand. If you’re looking for a cutie who’ll make you laugh, I highly recommend Ikemen Sengoku’s Sarutobi Sasuke.

Rio Ortiz | Ikemen Prince

☆ Birthday: 13th April
☆ Tropes: Genki / “Puppy BF” / Deredere

An energetic ball of unconditional devotion, Rio is one of those characters who always loves you, no matter which route you’re in. Unfortunately, his own route is yet to be released in CYBIRD’s Ikemen Prince, but you can still enjoy his excitable and adoring personality through event stories, while we wait for this loyal ‘puppy’ butler to become available to romance in his own full route…

Leonardo Da Vinci | Ikemen Vampire

☆ Birthday: 15th April
☆ Tropes: Oji-san / Tensai

Leonardo doesn’t quite fit into the same categories as other characters in this list, but he is a ‘caretaker’ type who subtly handles problems behind the scenes, so MC can go about her day-to-day life without any worries. His route does get pretty angsty – and there are some philosophical debates about life, death, and mortality – but, ultimately, he’ll leave you feeling deeply cared for… plus, he’s voiced by Tsuda Kenjiro, so he’s a smoking hot Italian vampire with a deep, beautiful voice. There’s a lot here to love, even if he can be a stubborn ‘oji-san’ sometimes…

Fenrir Godspeed | Ikemen Revolution

☆ Birthday: 15th April
☆ Tropes: Genki / Deredere / Ouji-sama

Fenrir’s route in Ikemen Revolution is one of the most wholesome stories I’ve read in an otome game, to date. He’s a happy-go-lucky wild type who’s capable of being friends with pretty much anyone – and I love how he initially feels like your ‘best bud’, before the relationship evolves into something more romantic. He’s sweet, caring, and supportive – so you’ll have plenty of scenes that make you feel all warm and mushy and stuff. I highly recommend his route if you’re looking for something wholesome to cheer you up.

Mouri Motonari | Ikemen Sengoku

☆ Birthday: 16th April
☆ Tropes: Yandere / Trickster / Genki

As with Leonardo, Ikemen Sengoku’s Mouri Motonari is a little too spicy for the ‘sunshine’ aspect of this list, but he is still wild and adventurous (and stubborn). Plus, he’s a sexy, dangerous pirate who’ll steal your heart (and maybe your booty?), so I’m not too mad if he doesn’t quite fit the same tone as the other Aries love interests mentioned here…

Enomoto Mineo | Collar X Malice

☆ Birthday: 17th April
☆ Tropes: “wah-wah boyfriend” / Genki

A few of the love interests in this post can be considered ‘comedic’ characters, but this is largely due to their own, deliberate sense of humour. Enomoto, on the other hand… well, he’s funny by accident. If you’re looking for an awkward, adorable, pure-hearted love interest who you can tease and have fun with, then you’ll find exactly that in Collar X Malice’s Enomoto…

Final Thoughts

It’s difficult to describe, but the common trait among these Aries love interests is the way they make you feel. With sweet, sincere affection, they’ll make your heart feel like it’s swelling to the point of bursting. They’re not perfect characters – and some of their routes may get a little angsty – but there’s something oddly innocent, or pure, about the way they express their love.

There are no ‘problematic faves’ in this list (except Motonari, but he still fits the ‘wild adventurer’ aspect of this zodiac), but there are an overwhelming number of ‘deredere’ characters, who simply adore MC and want her to be happy.

There are also a couple of what Otome Shimai refer to as “wah wah boyfriends”, who tend to be eccentric, comedic characters I affectionately refer to as ‘adorkable’. They’re cute – like a weird puppy is cute – and their energy is contagious, which lends itself well to a light-hearted, wholesome romantic comedy.

Rather than a flirtatious playboy seducing you with their wit and charm, or a possessive yandere enthralling you with their intriguing, dangerous aura – these Aries love interests will give you a simple, sincere love story. Despite any flaws, obstacles, or plot drama – they just really care about MC, and this simplicity can often be refreshing, especially after a long run of twisted romances and melodrama.

Recommendations

1. Sarutobi Sasuke is one of my Ikemen Sengoku faves, and his route is a lot of fun – even just for the comedy. The localization of his route is exemplary, with a large portion of his humour relying on pop culture references that had to be localized to make sense to an English-speaking audience, rather than translated literally, word-for-word.
2. Leonardo Da Vinci may not be the most ‘Aries’-type character on this list – and his route gets a little more angsty than you might expect from his initial character introduction – but it’s still a lot of fun, and his romantic ending in particular finishes the route with the air of a ‘fairytale’ romance. He’s also an incredibly sexy character, so I recommend him for otome gamers looking for something a little spicier and more mature.
3. Fenrir Godspeed was the first character I romanced in Ikemen Revolution, and he’s still one of my favourites in the game. His route doesn’t get particularly spicy at any point, but I loved how his relationship with MC transitioned from ‘best bud’ to boyfriend. He’s fun and energetic, and some of the scenes in his route were so sweet and memorable that even just thinking about them makes me emotional all over again.

You’ll like Aries love interests if you like: sweethearts with sunshine smiles; cute and dorky comedic characters; loyal, puppy-like boyfriends; wild types who’ll whisk you off on an adventure; best-buds to lovers; and stories that make you feel loved in a wholesome, heart-warming type of way…

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