Meet Japan’s First Female ‘League of Legends’ Champion

In the tournament, Otomo and her team competed in the game of “League of Legends,” a popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title.

Using the handle ShakeSpeare, the talented 17-year-old gamer won the top prize with her teammates from N High School in Okinawa. N High School is an online high school for students planning to become video game creators, computer programmers, writers, and anime producers, Soranews24 reports.

Otomo, a high school sophomore originally from Saitama, reportedly transferred to the specialized school specifically to become a better LoL player.

It turns out the school has a professional gamer who teaches lessons at an extracurricular club.

Otomo’s groundbreaking win in a national tournament is a rarity in a field dominated by male players. Based on a recent survey, only 30% of Japanese gamers are female. Now, many are hoping Otomo can serve as inspiration for young girls with a passion for competitive gaming.

One of Otomo’s motivations to succeed is to prove that female gamers are just as good, if not better, than male players.

“I was determined to win. I wanted to make sure people didn’t write me off just for being a woman,” she was quoted as saying.

Since her victory, she has attracted many fans online who were not only impressed by her MOBA skills but also by her beauty.

Otomo is also an aspiring model who has participated in multiple events showcasing her modeling skills. Last year, she was a finalist in the high school beauty pageant Miss JK Contest. Her biggest job as a model was when she walked in the Tokyo Girls Collection, an event attended by 2,500 people.

Social media users were quick to compliment her looks, frequently comparing her to Japanese idol group members.

“She’s cuter than members of AKB48,” one user wrote.

“I can’t believe a woman that beautiful is also good at games!” another commented.

Feature Image via miyu_0v0