“I wanted to make sure people didn’t write me off just for being a woman.”

In a field often dominated by men, 17-year-old Miyu Otomo has become the first female champion of the All Japan High School E-sports Championship. A sophomore in high school, Miyu’s game of choice is the online multiplayer battle arena League of Legends (or LoL).

Playing under the handle ShakeSpeare, she took the victory with her teammates from N High School in Okinawa, a primarily online high school that focuses on setting up students with the skills to become video game creators, computer programmers, writers, and anime producers. Originally from Saitama, Miyu transferred to the Okinawan high school with the intention of becoming a better LoL player, as the school has an extra-curricular club with lessons taught by a professional gamer. With her victory it’s safe to say her move paid off.

The title alone is certainly nothing to be scoffed at, as with her victory she’s now become the first ever female champion of the tournament. And with a recent survey reporting that only 30 percent of gamers in Japan are female, Miyu’s success in a high-profile event like a national tournament may not happen again for some time. But for some netizens, her gaming skills are not what is catching their attention. Rather, it’s her good looks.

Miyu is an aspiring model who has walked in the Tokyo Girls Collection event for around 2,500 people. She also participates in beauty contests and was a finalist in last year’s Miss JK Contest, a beauty contest for high school girls.

Many people compared her looks to that of members of idol groups.

“She’s cuter than members of AKB48.”
“Even though it’s played as a team, there’s one person who stands out…”
“I can’t believe a woman that beautiful is also good at games!”
“If I had a girlfriend like this, every day would be fun, playing games together!”

Regardless of what she looks like, Miyu herself is keen not to be looked down upon just because of her gender. “I was determined to win. I wanted to make sure people didn’t write me off just for being a woman.”

“2019 was the year my life changed,” Miyu said. “I wasn’t sure if I would succeed or not, but I’m glad I did the things that I wanted to do.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5bRSH6jix4/

And at just 17 years old, she certainly has a bright future ahead of her, whether she continues with modelling, gaming, or both. One thing is for sure; Miyu Otomo is living proof that you can have both brains and beauty!

Source: Jin, Mainichi Shinbun
Featured image: Instagram/miyu_0v0
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