Can I Not Fall for Idols? Review

Usually the goal of an otome game is to romance one of the male leads and reach a happy ending. However, that concept has been turned on its head with Can I Not Fall for Idols? (アイドルと〇〇しちゃダメですか？), a short game from developer Mikimaki, which just received a Nintendo Switch release in Japan and in English-speaking territories after previously being PC only since its debut in September 2025. But has it been worth the wait? Let’s take a look! 

The Story

The story of Can I Not Fall for Idols? follows Mei Aida (as the player character, her name can be changed upon starting), who has been put in charge of managing the rookie idol group ♡Melonchu♡. You’re tasked with preparing them for their upcoming concert, which has to be a success if the group is to continue. But there’s one big problem. All three members of the group are deeply in love with you after chance encounters on the morning of your first day, and should you enter into a relationship with any of them, then you’ll trigger a bad end. Can you dodge the romance flags and make sure the show is successful? 

Characters

Because your affection meter is so high with the members of ♡Melonchu♡ from the start, every choice you make matters to ensure you hit the best ending. It’s often obvious what the ‘correct’ choice is, but there are instances where it’s a bit unclear, so you may not get the best ending on your first run-through. There are eight endings in total, all of which are easy to achieve on replies. My first run took about two hours, and then I spent a further hour and a half collecting the rest. 

This is a comedy first and foremost, so the main characters all have personalities that are tropes dialed up to eleven. In ♡Melonchu♡ you have Issa Kagura, the self-centred and bossy leader. Then there’s Ranmaru Nijo, a tsundere who can be prickly but is quite affectionate once you get beyond the facade. And the final member of the group is Otoha Mitoge, a bit of an airhead who often speaks in internet slang, meaning he’s often misunderstood or dismissed. 

There is a fourth romance option in the form of Reiji Shibaura, a production accounting staff member who helps to guide you in your role as manager. His route wasn’t in the game when it originally debuted in 2025 but was added to a later edition of the Steam release and kept for this port as well. Personally, his route was my favourite since it seems the most appropriate in terms of a romance, and I liked the direction the story goes in with it. 

Overall Impressions 

Overall, there’s not a great deal of time to develop the cast that much, so it does mean the writing has to lean on stereotypes rather than any of them feeling like individuals. However, given the short nature of the game and the absolutely hilarious writing, I think this is okay provided you know what you’re getting into ahead of time. Just as the premise is to avoid all the romance flags, this is a game that’s far better if you go into it looking for a fun ride and not a particularly original story or cast.

This is Mikimaki’s debut game; they have a second titled Ikekan (イケ勘 イケメンになるかどうか勘で付き合うゲーム), which was released in Japan in April this year and is set for an English release sometime in 2026. For a debut work, the team comes out all guns blazing here with bright, vibrant artwork and full Japanese voice acting for the cast (apart from the player character). The cast includes Yoshino Itaru, Inou Kouki, Fujie Tatsuya, and Yoshimura Masaru, who are all quite rookie seiyuu but do an excellent job in their roles here. 

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that the English release had been translated by an actual human (so many otome games, especially small ones, end up being machine translated now…)! Translation is credited to Chika. K, who I think has done a tremendous job with the script. Especially when it comes to Otoha and having to find slang that’s more recognisable to an English audience. I do think some of the script leans a little too heavily into internet slang when it's perhaps not needed, but at the same time that’s the tone of the original work too (like the above boat meme usage), so even if it doesn’t age well, I don’t think it was a bad decision. While all of the in-game dialogue has been translated, visuals haven’t been (as seen above), so there are some signs and such that aren’t pivotal to the game and are left in Japanese. This didn’t really bother me, as I know the language anyway, but it would have been nice to see them adjusted for the Western release. 

Concluding Thoughts 

Can I Not Fall for Idols? is a highly entertaining game that turns the prospect of an otome game on its head. Idol fans and those who are heavily into the genre will not doubt have a blast with this charming and hilarious story of a manager and her three troublesome idols. Certainly, this makes me excited to see what the developers will go on to create next. 

Can I Not Fall for Idols? is available digitally on Steam for PC or through the eShop for Nintendo Switch / Switch 2. The game also includes simplified Chinese and Korean translations alongside the Japanese and English options. All screenshots used in this review were taken by the reviewer on a Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode. 

©Mikimaki / Can I Not Fall for Idols?