Reviews for Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

Growing up from a kid to adulthood, I’m sure all of us has our own favorite hobbies, interests, or dirty little secret. Not many people like to admit it but it’s part of our society and how we live in. For a show about the otaku culture and exploring the lifestyle of the nerd norm, Wotake ni Koi wa Muzukashii really set the bar high. Welcome to a world where office romance, otakuism, and gaming culture become an experience you won’t forget. The English translation title is “It’s Difficult to Love an Otaku” and “Love is Hard of Otaku”. Literally, those words mushed up together alreadyfeels like the show is a big joke or satire. While the show seems like it’s taking a risk at mixing a variety of questionable gimmicks together, I can say safely that there’s no need to worry. As a fan of the manga, I was thrilled to learn that Noitamina was chosen to air this show. It seems fitting for such an anime based on their history of lineups. What’s more is that this show also portrays a more realistic slice of life story that you don’t see too often these days. To me, this was a God-sent gift for Spring 2018.

I’m not going to lie. Watching this anime reminds me of being a kid despite the show being targeted at an older audience. The goofy style of the storytelling along with the colorful character cast brings in a very playful atmosphere. Even as the show takes place in an office life environment, it’s hard to ignore the character chemistry between the main cast. From the start, we got two childhood friends named Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji. The two have known each other for awhile but are almost like complete polar opposites. Narumi is a bubbly outgoing girl with an interest in fujoshi and otome games. On the other hand, Nifuji is an otaku with an avid interest in video games and doesn’t actually seem to care what other thinks of him. Despite their different personalities, it’s undeniable that the two has chemistry both during and off work. The other two lovebirds in the show consists of Hanako Koanagi and Tarou Kabakura. They are dating as a couple and while the two constantly bickers at every chance they get, the two genuinely seems to love each other. Now, you’re probably thinking…is this going to be a show filled with drama and misunderstandings? Absolutely not. While the show contains office romance, it’s hardly a story that focuses on that exclusively. Instead, this anime stands out as a way of exploring the everyday adventures of these characters.

One of the primary factors that makes this show appealing is the small character cast. It capitalizes on giving every character a chance to shine without leaving another in the dust. The couple pair of Narumi and Nifuji is infectiously entertaining to watch. Their character chemistry is shown through their interests that somehow intersects with their daily lives. At the office, the two maintains a professional relationship although they still act casually towards each other. The show explores their relationship development as they understand each other more in their adult lives. This even includes going on dates to the movies or amusement park. While the show adapts their relationship more as a ship tease, I think it’s safe that fans accepts them as a couple. Hanako and Tarou are dating already so the show doesn’t hide the fact that they care for each other. It’s mostly lighthearted romance that relies more on realism to do the storytelling. Office romance isn’t easy to adapt but this anime does that without ever being distracting. Characters act the way humans do while drawing connection to their otaku interests. Each of the main characters has their own interest. (otome games, gamer, cosplaying, bishoujo) As a central theme of the show, it establishes their interest through dialogues, interactions, and references. The show often throws in jokes with characters’ small talk and arguing to sell its comedy. It’s damn entertaining as every character gets their moment of fame. It masterfully matches the pacing of the dialogues that feels very real. The impression those moments bring is an accurate depiction of how co-workers behave. Whenever this nerdy group goes out for a drink, they act like casual adults enjoying life. It brings in the sensation of a rom-com between working adults that leaves me satisfied. Oh and before I forget to mention, give the manga a try too. The anime actually expands on some background content but the manga also feels like its own little world.

To be honest, A-1 Pictures is the last studio I would imagine adapting this show. However, the production quality itself is vibrant with colorful character designs. The characters looks distinct between one another with their different hair colors and facial expressions. Character reactions also sell a good deal of the comedy especially whenever Narumi reacts in exaggerated manners. As an anime that focuses on otaku, do expect video game references to be made such as the Nintendo Switch and Monster Hunter. There’s even one episode where the characters are adapted into an RPG setting with very gimmicky video game themes.

No fan service? No problem. You have the character dialogues doing the talking and most of it delivers humor in the most harmless ways. Yet at the same time, it’s able to create quality entertainment thanks to the talents of the voice cast. Narumi and Hanako in particular are able to bring out the best out of characters through that with their human personalities. The theme songs are also quite creative with their choreography. Namely, the OP song “Fiction” by Sumika is adorably cute with the body language. Every character in the theme songs stands out with their coordinated movements.

With 11 episodes, it felt just enough for this anime to do what it’s intended and that’s to sell its ideas to the audience. It succeeds that thanks to its creative circle of characters and their interests. Otakuism is not something that’s accepted easily as a positive culture norm. In fact, it’s often looked down upon in our society. However, this show presented that in a positive way. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the show is recommendable to just about anyone. A show like this deserves more attention, seriously.

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii (Wotakoi for short) is a romance comedy which characters are Otakus (Anime or Game Otakus). It is set in an office setting, featuring 4 main characters (2 couples) that are dating each other. Here in there, you would see direct references to manga, anime, games, and the likes. However, this anime fails to deliver well in both comedy and romance. I think it is important for you to treat this more as a slice of life show featuring otaku couples, as to not give any unmet expectations. The romance in this anime is more of just a setting as it ishardly explored. It will only occasionally throw in some romantic moments. Meanwhile, the jokes in this anime are rarely funny. I feel like the biggest problem to the comedy is the awful timing. It is really slow at delivering punchlines, making it unfunny at most times. To make it worse, there are sometimes short explanations by the game-sounding-narrator, which further slows down the pace.

The characters here are not really outstanding. There's no traits or moments that I feel really stand out from them. Also, even though the couples' relationships might change a little, the characters themselves hardly changes.

The background music is one problem I have with this anime. Maybe it's just not my taste, but although there are some good tracks, there are a lot of weird tracks that are just slapped unto an unfitting scene (honestly, I don't think those tracks could fit anywhere).

Overall, I think this anime fails to deliver a good romcom. There is only a little romance development and jokes fall flat. This is an anime for watching the daily lives of otaku couples. And that's it, since the only thing this anime got going for it is its relatability for people familiar with the otaku culture.

I picked up Wotaku ni koi wa Muzukashii along with 3D Kanojo together back when the show first aired and expected both to be about the same, I gave the former an 8 and the latter a 7 originally if my memory doesn't fail me, and from then on even though both featured otaku (now it's obvious that 3D Kanojo only has one while Wotakoi has it's entire casts as the same but I picked it up together for the same reason) it became clear as day which was fresh garbage and which was the anime that made me dance. Looking at the rating Ithink you know what show turned out to be the one that made me dance, yes. This is my review of Wotaku ni koi wa Muzukashii, ikuze!!!

Let's start with some backstory. My last seasonal romance watch was in Summer of 2017, almost exactly three seasons ago, which is shocking because if you know me, I love romance and always strive to watch it in some way or the other but in terms of seasonals I felt tired and stopped focusing on the genre. To reasons obvious to romance fans I felt Spring would be the best season for a romance fan to return to the seasonal genre and found a lot of romance anime to watch, but none, absolutely none made me fall over them as much as I fell over Wotaku ni koi wa Muzukashii. Not because it's cute, but because it's unique, it's fun, and of course, it's got everything else going for it.

I mean, look at it's competition this season (or even the last), what romance anime did we have? Tada-kun started strong but suffered with it's cliche problem shortly after, FranXX continues to be complete garbage in the romance category (and dare I say it every other category), the anime I formerly mentioned, 3D Kanojo almost immediately disappointed me with it's second episode, Grancrest had the same FranXX situation, while Beatless could be considered one slot better than the two mentioned. Leaving us with two romance anime this season that continued to be adored by me, Wotaku ni koi wa Muzukashii and Akkun To Kanojo. The latter was and still is an enjoyable show but being a short, it can't compare to Wotakoi in the same breath. Why? Read on!

First off, it's a fantastic slice of life anime. Wotakoi is how you make a Slice of Life Romance work and I can't find any other examples that bettered it till Winter 2017 (when I first started seasonals) and overall I'm sure it'll rank up in my top 5. Yet again you ask why? Because it knows how to captivate it's watchers with warmth. This brings us to the question, why do we watch romance anime? Many would say that it's because it brings them warmth, and surprise, surprise, Wotakoi gives you that. A cute, warm and fuzzy slice of life anime you can cosy up to whether you're single or with your partner. Even though it's centered on Otakus, it's biggest feature is that there's something for everyone.

Everyone will find something in the anime worth relating to and laughing at, and I'm just talking about the normies here, if you're a mild anime watcher or a hardcore one, both parties will find lots and lots to laugh at and references to gloss over with this anime. Be it a Dragon Quest reference, a Final Fantasy reference, a Saekano reference, etc etc. There's lots to list and I don't have enough time to list them all for we must move on to the next best part. The soundtrack. I don't think I need to tell you how popular the Opening is especially with it's dance and there's been countless videos on YouTube (some of which were taken down because Sony Music) showing viewers how the dance is done or how they reacted to this marvelous choreography. And that's not to mention the ED as well. Fantastic, cosy and just a joy to watch, it's an excellent example of a testament to the anime.

And we've barely scratched the surface. What else makes the anime so fun? The biggest reason why? THE CHARACTERS! I haven't seen such vibrant AND relatable characters in an anime in a very long time and this was just fabulous. I mean, it makes me wanna write on every character. First off, we didn't get one pairup, we got TWO. Then the interactions, motivations, situations, all made for a really cute yet not over the top anime. It didn't overstep its bounds yet created an environment that only Wotakoi could create and excel in. This isn't a Utopia, this is real life, and the real life says Wotakoi is excellent. Speaking of real life, the wonderful staff who worked on this anime. Having renowned VAs like Sawashiro Miyuki and the legendary Sugita Tomokazu himself, this anime wasn't at all short of talent, and the others too did brilliantly. I never for once felt like the voice actors did a bad job, or that the directing or scripting was bad in any way.

I might be sounding like I'm fanboying like crazy but let's just say Wotakoi IS that kind of show. It makes you warm and you're left beaming with happiness. Definitely something I'd call a feel-good show. Oh and, another reason why the anime is so amazing? It's got adults. Not high school kids as the main characters and that gives a LOT of room for different scenarios and even though our lovely cast might seem childish, in the first place, being an otaku is a throwback to childhood anyway. And second, we don't have any blushing game of random meetups and random kisses and random blushes and random etc like most high school anime (I already triggered the FranXX fanboys, don't want another group to come after me so I won't give examples now) because from the very first episode itself, everyone is dating. Yes. You read that right. They're dating from the first episode itself and they're adults and they're Otakus. Reasons enough for why it's so fantastic?

Still not convinced? How about I tell you that in spite of having such a unique setup, it handles it excellently? Convinced? I sure do hope you are, because I still have more to say. I haven't even gone to the characters in detail yet! Hirotaka might seem like your dense that you see in most high school romance but NO. Do not underestimate him because he is sharp. I mean, the ending of episode 1 changed my view of him from the get go. Surprised? I was too! He continued to be brilliant like the rest of the cast. Narumi on the other hand is fortunately not a flat female character (I just love making that pun) as we see in some romance anime and much like Hirotaka, is just a joy to watch. She's cute, relatable, and is a perfect matchup for Hirotaka. Then we got the polar opposites, Hana-chan and Gintoki- I mean Bakaku- I mean Kabakura. Both were the most loveable lovebirds and sworn enemies, which was a sharp contrast to Hirotaka and Narumi and offered an excellent balance to the aforementioned pair. Though MAL marked them as Supporting Characters they're very much main characters as well since they're a main focus of the anime too! And that's not to mention the other supporting cast too, they're cute too and the biggest part is that even though they're a supporting cast, the brief moments they feature in were all relatable and enjoyable in their own regard and this was me trying my hardest to describe how lovable the cast is, I can't find the words to describe what I feel to the exact point but this should serve as a somewhat great substitute.

STILL NOT CONVINCED? Then I can bring up the last of my cards, the artstyle. Many scorned and scoffed at the name of the studio when they first saw it's synopsis since it was made by A-1 Pictures. A studio that is designed for freelancers. What many realised later was that fortunately this was one of those “once in a blue baboon” situations where they turned out to be good, and I'm talking from the perspective of people who don't like A-1 but are objective critics. Me? Well, much like the other fans, I just enjoyed this. I have liked A-1’s many other works before in particular the Working! series and this just adds on to the fun.

Coming back to the topic, it's artstyle was unique, vibrant, cheerful and not to mention adorable. There was just that some thing about it that made it such a joy to look at, whether you're watching it in 1080p, 720p, a CR free subscriber, or the 144p master race (is the show even available in this resolution? Maybe in YouTube). Needless to say it's artstyle is YET another plus point the anime had.

It's very very tough to find negatives in this anime and the ones I found were that perhaps it's comedy didn't hit me every single time, though it did usually, I perhaps laughed at least once every episode and just longed for the next week’s episode to come out already and when it did, oh the joy I had.

Overall, I don't think I need to point this out, but Wotaku ni koi wa Muzukashii is a romance anime that you definitely must watch if you're a fan of the genre or are looking for that fun Slice of Life anime to entertain and cosy up to. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is my pick for Anime of the Year or to the extreme minimum, Romance/SoL of the Year. Romance? Yes. Otaku stuff? Yes, but that isn't too deep for someone to get bored with. End product? Something great that anyone and everyone can watch and enjoy! Yes. Even normies :P

You and I might not see eye to eye on the anime, but I'm sure you'll leave the anime with a smile, that is, if you love watching fun shows. Much like with everyone, you'll definitely find out that you struck a chord with a lot of the things in the anime. I mean, we're all Otakus aren't we?

P.S: That last episode man. Incorporated everything that was great in the previous episodes and brought out the best from them to make for a fantastic end to a fantastic anime. If I were to describe Wotakoi in one word, it would ironically be that it's inclusive despite it's otaku centered focus. Hirotaka GO!

I’m honestly enjoying this anime so much, I look forward to the next episode every week. ‘Love is hard for otaku’ to me, is a simple, funny and cute series with some references here and there, displaying the struggles and benefits of relationships between otaku, whether it’s just a friendly relationship or something more. The main characters all have their own characteristics and interests and lets be real, Hirotaka is hella cute I am shaking. Anyways! The relationships between the mc’s are developing as they get to know each other more and more and I am truly enjoying that journey, especially the little fights between Hanako andTarou.

If you’re looking for something laid back yet cute and funny (and at times relatable), then I’d really recommend watching this. This is definitely my favourite out of the new anime airing this season.

ps: I rated this with a 10 because I mainly rate anime based on how much I enjoy watching it so there's that!

Do you ever felt that you are getting tired of Romance Comedy Set in Highschool? When the troupe of this kind of slice of life romance comedies is starting to get boring? And as time passes, it starting to get very jarring to watch. When the idea is getting stale when nothing new is introduced on the table. If you feel that way? You’re not the only one. Because I am also growing kind of tired of this kind of show as I hit my late 20’s. The problem I see with this kind of show is that we get an ample amount of it everyseason with little to no variety amongst them that sometimes make the experience no longer engaging enough for me to care. But to be super clear I still enjoy watching high school rom-com every now and then, especially the very old ones. It’s just becoming much harder for me to try out new ones especially if I expect I am not getting the pay-off. And by the way, a lot of rom-com doesn’t end in a very satisfying way which ends up either make me wanting more or felt depressed.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is a show I consider, in my opinion, a breath of fresh air when it comes to the romance and slice of life genre. Sure, there are lots of anime featuring working young adults' love story while some are more solid because the couples are already married. But if you going to count the memorable ones that heavily focus on the idea I mention. I think I cannot count them more than my ten fingers.

In this Review, we are going to explore why I think this anime is good and fresh on what is presented in the year 2018.

(Story/Plot/Writing) (7/10: Good) (Spoiler Free)

The first thing that I found interesting in the anime is that the basic story is about characters living their normal young adult life with their hobbies co-existing with their current lifestyle. The catch in the formula however is that they also have to build and maintain upon an established romantic relationship with their partners.

For young audiences who haven’t been involved in this kind of stage of their life as a working adult will find it kind of boring and unrelatable. But for me currently as a young adult on the writing of this review found it very common around the office. People balancing work and relationships is a challenge by itself.

I find it fascinating that characters are realistically self-aware about the public mentality against otaku culture, they are not ignorant about it. Even though the approach is quite different for each character. There is a sense of realism about it.

Most of the time, on other anime I’ve seen but not all, heavily glorified “Otaku Culture’’ as some kind of magnificent way of life that society failed to understand. They victimized otakus as an undesirable group of people that society failed to understand. Giving the notion that Otakus are ”Special” and the “Real World”’ is a stupid place, only Isekai’s will understand them. The show is quite subtle in showcasing a sneak peek at how otakus enjoy their niche hobbies in a very down-to-earth way. No exaggeration or Hyperbole involve. Just regular people doing the things they love.

Ok, we cover why I found the core synopsis interesting, now let’s move on to the comedy aspect of the show. The show makes use of some really funny inside jokes about certain otaku habits. And I am surprised that the gag is only used in small amounts. Usually, in rom-com with otaku-related humor, we commonly get like 10 or more of the referential jokes each episode. But in Wotakoi's case, there are only lesser than anticipated per episode if I remember correctly. related to jokes that might be niche jokes that only certain groups of people will get the reference. Jokes that only otaku knows sort of things. The show relies on basic office humor and your typical slice of life rom-com humor that any non-otakus person can understand. I found this style pretty nice. Less is more. The more time I can breathe between jokes the better. I am not a fan of comedies that loves to bombards 10 to 20 random jokes within the span of 1 to 5 minutes. Looking at you Pani Poni Dash!

The humor is well-paced in the majority of each episode. It has a good transition from serious mood to light-hearted or awkward mood to relatable feel-good moments. Though emotional whiplash exists in this show, it is not too damaging enough to destroy the overall experience.

Now we are done with the core aspect of the show comedy. Let’s talk about the show main spice in the story, the romance. If I am going to rank the character's level of relationship on the scale of 1 to 10. I say they are between a 6 or 7, depending on how far you look at the depth of the romance. I say the character's mutual attraction to one another and how they behave is realistically normal. The romance of the show is more slice of life than heartwarming romantic.

It doesn’t shy away from the reality that a romantic relationship is not all about flowers and sex. Most of the time you will just see characters having a mundane conversation about each other’s lives, hanging around in each other’s houses, watching movies, and playing videos games. Doing dates that don’t seem to be super fun as other people romanticize it. And for me that’s Ok. A relationship is all about sharing life experiences and personal stories to their partners that they wouldn’t honestly talk about to other people.

It's all about being comfortable being yourself. Doing what you love around the person you love and you are proudly supported every step of the way. And to me, that’s pure romance at its core.

(Characters, Only Main to Talk About) (7/10 Good) (Spoiler-Free)

I usually talk about each individual character on their pro and cons when a show has a limited scope of less than 6 acting casts. But I decided just to highlights some very significant general traits to avoid giving up some major spoilers. That show doesn’t have an overarching plot. Most episodes can be very independent of one another. The enjoyment and the main content of Wotakoi can offer is the main character themselves. Just to give you guys the idea.

People should know that otakus are not set as a single stereotype. There is a multitude of different niche groups of otakus with varying interests and hobbies. Hirotaka, Narumi, Hanako, and Tarou present the message that not all otakus have an aligned set of interests. Even though Narumi and Hanako almost shared the same interest but they have different opinions and perspectives on specific topics like most individuals within a fandom. Not very stereotypical. This makes each character stand out in their own right and not getting overshadowed by another.

When it comes to conflict and relationship hurdles. The format is quite similar to Boy VS Girl squabbles. As I mentioned recently the show remains consistently light-hearted and never sway too much on more serious adult theme boundaries. And there is no antagonizing character either in this show so expect there will be no serious dispute will occur in this show.

I also found the small cast of characters very fun to watch since I like the relationship dynamics with a combination ok humor.

(Technical Stuff) (Art & Animation 7/10)( Music and Sound Design 7/10)

I only gonna make this section a little short since there isn’t anything much to talk about. The Opening "Fiction by Sumika is enjoyable to watch every episode. Good OST Ambience on particular scenarios has some very relaxing vibes to it. And the Ending Music is Good too.

For a modern anime made in 2018, I would say the animation and art style is quite standard, nothing special. Not always being flashy nor super hyperbolic nonsense all the time. The style plays out very maturely most of the time. For Slice of Life Anime About Adults, I think the art style is good for the show in general. And for small details, the “Lighting” and “Shadowing” are quite good too.

(Enjoyment/ Bias Personal Opinion) (7/10 I have Fun Watching This Show) (W/Spoilers)

I’ve been telling a lot of positives about the show but I would like to discuss some of my little complaints about it in this section though they aren’t that many. This issue I found in the show might be not a negative to others.

Introducing some new character in mid-way is ok but in the last few episodes, I considered a foul play in regard to character introduction. And Wotakoi actually did this kind of tactic which I found kind of annoying since this anime didn’t get a season 2 to fix the sudden introduction of the character. Until now I don’t remember him/her very much because of lack of screen time.

The character "Fleshing Out'' is Good but there isn’t any deep development or change on the characters. But I would like to counterargument that each character does establish to know each other’s interest and dislike over the course of the series which still made them organic until the end. And can you blame them? There isn’t any major conflict in this show that will force them to change their ways. And that is fine for a slice of life Rom-Com. But it also filled me the void of wanting it more and I might check out the source material in the future.

(Final Thoughts) (Overall 7/10 A show worth recommending to specific niche)

The show did a good job of presenting a basic slice of life romance story of your modern office worker that has a niche interest. It didn’t go deep into any heavy themes and stay consistently light-hearted to the majority of the 11-episode run. I like the way this show doesn’t represent otakus as creepy pedophilic rapists or pathetic basement dwellers. The show presents them as normal human beings who live a healthy life. It doesn’t make you feel sorry for them or feel disgusted if a person has a distinct interest in anime, games, or stuff people will find disturbing.

I will also conclude that this show is not for everybody but I believe that people's preferences change over time depending on our age and our environment. So you might not appreciate this kind of show now but maybe someday you will.

Like the show once said. I used to be Pure. I wasn’t born as a boob guy.

Closing Remarks:

If I have the chance to describe the show overall using specific character dialogues this is what I choose.

Narumi Momose to Hirotoka Nifuji:

>My last boyfriend, and the one before that, and my first boyfriend were all the same.

>They all dumped me because I was an Otaku. It is always like that for me. It was always like that, so this feels easy for me now! I don’t have to hide the fact that I am a nerd.

>But Neither of us is the other’s ideal type. We are both otakus. I am sure we’re both making some compromises.

Hirotaka Nifuji Reply to Narumi Momose:

> Well you’re right, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t compromising on anything.

>I’m not with you just because you’re a nerd or just because it’s easy.

>I love seeing you do the things you like.

>Anyway that’s how I feel

End of Conversation

And Always Thanks for Reading Guys! Peace Out!

I'm surprised there aren't more people disappointed by this show. And while I am in no way someone who thinks that a faithful adaptation is required to make a good show (see: maid dragon), I think this anime really misses the mark. Starting with the basics, the animation is distractingly bad. This show definitely probably wouldn't require the large animation budget a lot of other shows need (except possibly some of the in game shots later), they definitely cut it back to the bare minimum: lots of still reaction shots, background art that seems disconnected from the foreground characters, and oh my god the faces.The faces seem like they were outsourced to a country where people's eyes wander around their face more than the plot in a bad fanfic.

Jokes aside, the story and characters are where this anime loses any hope of redemption. The manga isn't funny or sweet purely through the "nerd-culture" content of its jokes, but because the character interaction and great pacing make you feel connected to it. This is a story about people looking to be accepted and wanting to belong, and reading the manga provides a unique feeling of belonging along with them. In stark contrast, this anime feels amazingly routine: uninspired direction causes the character interactions and jokes to fall flat and overall the immersion is totally lost.

I cannot enumerate my disappointment in this show; I was really looking forward to it. There's so much missed opportunity for something amazing, but in the end, this story feels like just one out of a thousand generic anime romcoms. If you're looking for something like this show, Net-juu no Susume's anime walks all over this.

Who had enough of looking for a fulfilling romance in anime? Who got tired of the school-setting romance with dense characters that don't acknowledge their feelings until the last minute of the anime and they don't even hug or share a kiss? I don't know about you, but I have had enough! I tried a lot of romance anime in search of one that has the characters confess in the beginning and then the remaining of the series is them developing their relationship. But I was always disappointed. That is until I came across Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii. In the beginning, I tried watching the firstepisode just to reconcile my hopeless relationship with romance animes. I went in with low expectations but that first episode threw me off guard!

A confession in the first episode! I hope I wasn't dreaming! I replayed those two minutes until I believed my eyes, and my heart felt, for the first time in a very long while, full.

I grew accustomed to getting disappointed in things that start off too good, so I went to the second episode reluctantly. It just got better.

The anime revolves around two relationships. We get glances at how two 'otaku' couples live their everyday life at work, how they get through their days, how they support each other, and most importantly, we see glances of their love for each other and it's the cutest thing I have witnessed in a while. It has got a light-hearted comedy to complement everything and it works so well with the setting.

This is a very wholesome anime. It doesn't have the forced drama, the unnecessary love triangle, the frustrating misunderstandings that could have been solved with talking, the teen angst. It is a pure romance comedy to lighten your mood and make you feel good after a shitty day. It is a win to the romance genre.

Are u sick of all those high school setting romance show? Did u just finish ur job feeling tired trying to find some refreshment? Look no further as Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii (Wotakoi) has got u covered. This is a very laid back show, if youre already have enough of the action shows this season provides with us, heres one that ill highly recommend for anyone who is up for their time. Wotakoi is a very well done rom-com series set in modern day Japan, covering our fellow otaku MCs, and otaku side characters. As aforementioned, our MCs are otakus, they like anime,just like we all do. The story starts of with our female MC, Momose getting (almost) late for her new job, whilst being scared that her identity as an otaku will be found out by her new coworker. While being shown around the new environment of the office, she found herself coincidentally bumping into her old friend, Hirotaka, our male MC. At first the characters might turn u off as they seem very dull, but youll soon realize that they are just normal, very normal to a point that its like real life, a slice of life indeed. Its fun to watch as the characters start unveiling their little bits in life, how the progressed through their 'hardships' and stuff, the show is very engaging, and occasionally throwing references here and there, which ultimately leads into a far more enjoyable experience.

Artstyle of Wotakoi is not impressive, but still very clean, polished, its smooth for ur eyes, I doubt anyone will complain about how it looks. I mean, as bad as how sometimes A-1 screw themselves over very badly, this here isnt the case. OST wise, the OP and ED is something ill never skip, they are just too good for not listening/watching. The songs are very good, but mostly the animation in the OP, absolutely fantastic. Its one of those very creative OPs youll ever bump into every now and then, like how the characters rotate with the camera angles, those transitions are just seamless, cocaine for ur eyes. Soundtracks in the anime itself thou doesnt have much of an impression left in me, either I was paying enough attention because of how well the anime is, or they were just there to compliment the show, nothing that memorable, but nothing to complain as well. Overall a very good and clean presentation.

Now before I conclude, I rate the shows I watch MOSTLY by enjoyment. If a show is enjoyable, ill give it 8 and above, and thats probably why u might see that I have quite a high mean score for the animes Ive rated. As a 10/10 that Ive given, this is one of the shows that I think will undoubtedly be enjoyable for all, a very simple story, very likable characters and catchy OP/ED, all adds up to a great show overall. This is one of the shows that ill anticipate for every week, like how when youre 6 and eagerly waiting for the ice cream truck to come by every weekend. Even if rom-com isnt your taste, by all means give it a try, maybe youll poke into a region youve never experienced before too.

Looking for a true romance, one with suspense, fluff, and drama? Then I will make this incredibly clear that this anime is not for you! I feel like I have to make this clear because I went into this anime based on description, genre, and rating expecting a romance and it really did not deliver. It has a lot of good qualities however. Anime and game lovers will find themselves identifying with the characters, and you’ll find yourself laughing at the exaggerated, but still relatable content. The art is also really cute, all the characters are distinct and different despite all being categorized as otaku’s.You get a peek into the lives of otaku’s of all different types, cosplay, crossplay, manga, videogames, anime, bl, etc. The main fandoms are all represented at least briefly. In its purest form, this anime is just about balancing otaku life with work life, that’s it.

Still don’t believe me this isn’t a romance? Then I will spoil (but not really) the romance involved in this anime. For starters, the couple gets together by the end of episode one and it’s treated more like a joke. There is only one kiss scene the entire anime and all it is, is a peck (and it’s not even at the end of the series that this happens, so yea...no kiss at the end either) and again, it’s treated more like a joke. There’s really no development shown in the relationship, no misunderstands, or ups and downs. It’s more like two coworkers who share similar interests that happen to be a couple.

I will confess that my score may be on the lower end than what this anime deserves. It’s actually a pretty good light-hearted, comedy. The art is cute, the characters are distinct and fun, and I admittedly got some laughs out of it, but I didn’t get what I wanted out of it and thus ended up rather disappointed.

I have absolutely, ZERO clue how this has managed to pull a borderline 8 stars on MAL. Just because the setting does not reside in a high school doesn't mean it is better than the ones that are. I want to write this quick review to make sure you don't waste your time with this one. The story is horrendously stale and the characters go nowhere. I'm not kidding when I say this and please take my word for it, I legitimately almost fell asleep like 3 or 4 times while watching this anime. That is how boring it was. Simply put, don't watch it.There are far better romance anime out there.

Part of becoming an adult is finding hobbies that enrich our life and fill the time after exhausting days at work. Wotaku centers around 4 main characters who are obssessed with hobbies society frowns upon, some of whom have little to no social skills at all. Momose, the main lead, is obssessed with manga, especially Yaoi, something she's had to hide from all her previous boyfriends and friends. The other 3 aren't much different: Hanako is also into yaoi and cosplay, her boyfriend Kabakura obssesses over yuri and gaming, and Nifuji games almost to the expense of all else. Momose and Nifuji are childhood friends,and he comes to an idea: they won't have to hide they're both otakus if they date.

The art and character models are stock standard for modern anime, and the soundtrack is sufficient but nothing special. There's promise in a story of adult couples who pursue their own hobbies, finding their own group that values what they do. Let's ignore Momose and Hanako's love of fetishized yaoi, or Kabukara's hyper-infantilized yuri, which is opening a can of worms. The major flaw is the characters are engaging as soggy noodles in a watered down broth. The female leads have their boy's love extend into their real life partners, getting excited by any close interactions between the two. They debate in a single scene which one is the top and which is the bottom. The character dynamics revolve around their eccentric hobbies, but we never get more than a superficial glance at those hobbies.

But the biggest flaw is the characters seem to not care for each other. Nifuji and Momose's relationship never extends past childhood friends, even after they start dating. She's not particularly attracted to him, and he makes it clear he'd be into a girl with larger breasts. Their relationship and interactions barely progress or regress. It feels like one of convenience and never develops from that. We never really dive into their actual interests, besides passing references and some stock standard online gameplay.

Hanako and Kabukara constantly fight when others are around, even if their interactions are much more lukewarm when they're alone together. Hanako's hobbies are probably the most engaging: she's a well-known cosplayer, and diving into the process she designs and creates the costumes could be an excellent story. At least they seem to care for each other, and spend some enjoyable moments together.

The entire character dynamic is "are the straights ok" the anime. With a stronger cast, a deeper dive into their interests, or a stronger plot, Wotaku could be engaging with an adult cast so desperately needed in romance anime. Instead, we get something that anyone but a hardcore otaku could really enjoy. Wotaku pales in comparison to other stories revolving around otaku like "Princess Jellyfish". The dive into online gaming is superficial unlike "Recovery of an MMO Junkie". The obsession with yaoi never extends to what we see in "Kiss Him, Not Me". It's not particularly bad but it's uninspired at best.

What makes a good romcom anime? Characters Comedy Narrative RelationshipsDrama

Romance

Theses are the things that usually make a romcom anime better not always good though. In the Spring 18 anime season there were two romcom that were strangely competing with each other. 3D Kanojo Real Girl and WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku. Both of these show uses all of these elements that I just listed to make theses respective shows better but yet only one of them was good though.

3D Kanojo Real Girl is a badly written romcom where only it had characters would talk over with each other without letting the other person finish but at various times the show hardly feels like a romcom as the show feels like more like a shitty slice of life anime set in high school. Not to mention the portrayal of Otaku culture as well the characterization and relationships were handled very poorly to a point where point where you just want to headbang a table.

Thankfully its competitor WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku did not suffer from any of the problems that caused 3D Kanojo Real Girl to become such a horrendous romcom anime and as a result WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku became the best romcom of 2018. Not the best anime of 2018 but still a pretty great one.

So what made this romcom so great you may ask?

You gonna to find out soon enough.

Hello everyone this is Shawn aka KurataLordStage and welcome to my review of WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku and with that said and done let's get started.

Story.

The story follows a female officer worker Narumi who secretly hides her Fujoshi lifestyle from her co-workers. One day at work she is reunited with her gaming geek childhood Hirotaka after discovering that they work at the same company. After some drinking sessions outside of work they start to date each other but will it end up being a perfect relationship for theses two or will they fall apart.

I really liked the story for WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku.

For starters the show does a great at establishing its characters right from the first episode. Unlike 3D Kanojo Real Girl where that show establishes the two main characters in a contrived and silly way Wotakoi decides to establish its main cast in a more mature where in the very first scene of the show where Narumi begins chatting kindly to Hirotaka. Unlike 3D Kanojo where by now both leads would talk over each other and random crap we actually to hear Narumi inner thoughts were we find out this is all a front to keep her secret from being exposed. Hirotaka end ups only partially revealing her secret but it quickly hard cuts to them drinking together. Not only does the show do a great job at presenting its actions that they were both otaku's but it manages to respect the tone of the office setting. The thing that sold me in this show is how the how portrays its romance because you see in real life there’s always a time and place where you can date as the two love birds in the show actually don’t date with each other until a day of work is over. Meaning when Hirotaka and Naruni are not working they are dating.

Like with any good romcom the show uses it comedy and romance elements right allowing us to really relate to every comedic and romance conversation that's goes along.

The show also a great job at portraying the Otaku culture where it showcases the highs and lows being an Otaku as an adult age. Not to mention the show goes a great job with it's references to video games and anime like Monster Hunter, Mario Kart, JoJo etc

The one thing that this show over most romcom that are coming out in recently is how the show doesn't take place at high school. Don't get me wrong I like my fair share of anime that were set in high school but in recent memory the high school setting itself was getting too abused to a point where some shows that would have been better if the shows were not in high school. I know this doesn’t really make a romcom show but for this case it does because we get to see a romance that is in a more mature setting that it has its own rules to follow.

Overall the story for WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku was great.

9/10

Characters.

The characters in WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku pretty good for the most part.

Our female romcom lead Narumi is a pretty good character. Despite trying to hide her Otaku interests from her workmates she’s actually a nice and passion girl who loves Otaku hobbies. However I have one sight problem with her and that she can a hypocritical at times where there was a piece of dialogue where Hirotaka asks Narumi why she hasn't tried dating someone who understands Otaku, she replies that only another Otaku would understand and Otaku are gross, so she won't do it. Am sorry but why would you deny a man who also an Otaku. If anything I thought date him because you both love the Otaku culture. Thankfully she becomes a better character later where she accepts dating with Hirotaka a man who is an Otaku but at there were times she can be bit cringe-worthy. Minus her slight cringly attitude at times I liked Narumi for the most part.

Hirotaka is probably the best character in the series. Unlike Narumi he doesn’t even bother hiding that being a Otaku as he is seen doing Otaku things in the open and he’s not a shamed of it.

The character chemistry for Narumi and Hirotaka is nothing but brilliant as they talk they time to understand each by doing all of these Otaku act’s outside of work life.

Hanako and Tarou are two characters that I liked. Unlike Hirotaka and Narumi they relationship is a rocky one as they constantly like having a go with each other like enemies most of the time. While they are not as memorable as the main two couple I thought they were still enjoyable characters.

Overall the characters were pretty good and enjoyable.

8/10

Visuals.

For a romcom anime this shows looks great. A1 Pictures did a awesome at capturing the setting of the series with it's nice use of business colour pallets that blends in well the shows great character and appealing designs. This is by far the best looking anime I have seen from A1 Pictures and it's not even a shounen series while most of those shows would have decent to average visuals at best. Honestly if A1 Pictures had more anime in this style for they action series then those shows would have been least Bones/J.C Staff tier instead of looking at they just came out from McDonalds unfinished filled with art failures.

The animation is pretty nice and smooth for what it is so that’s that.

8/10

Sound.

The soundtrack in WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku was great overall as it does a great at capturing the tone and setting of the series.

Both the opening and ending themes of the show are very good and memorable.

The voice acting is top notch overall. All the Seyiuss did a great job with the roles that were given.

9/10

Final Thoughts.

Overall this show was just great romcom to start to finish.

The story was great, the romance was excellent, and comedy was great and well executed. The characters are great where they all likeable in they own ways. The visuals were surprisingly great and appealing and the soundtrack was beautiful.

Despite being only 11 episodes this show was still able to be a better and well thought out romcom anime then the likes of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san and 3D Kanojo Real Girl. It may not be my favourite romcom series ever but I was still one hell of a good one.

If you’re looking for a great romcom anime that explores the Otaku culture in a realistic way that I recommend WotaKoi Love is Hard for Otaku.

Final Score 8.5/10

Wotakoi is a romance between young adults. Gamer guy who wears glasses and yaoi fangirl who acts like a tomboy. Apparently they aren't very confident about their own hobbies so naturally they go and announce their otaku lifestyle in a manner similar to "yes, I am a vegan" meme. Pretty cool. There are few things I quite like. Wotakoi has very direct dialogue, People say what they think and don't hide inside their shells. These characters are honest and don't spend 15 episodes pondering over how to convey. The comedy -especially after the first 2 episodes- is genius. The series is full of gamer memesthat feel very accurate to 90's kids (which our main characters also are). Episode 3 is a perfect example of rom-com done right.

The main characters don't feel very special nor memorable. They are just normal, realistic folks who are doing the slice of life thingy. Arguably very smart choice when considering the nature of this series. Still, I found myself getting attached to them in just 2 episodes, and am already looking forward to seeing where their relationship will head. The actual romance between them is super cute and innocent. The overall execution makes Wotakoi seem like a feel-good series.

At first, the side characters seem pretty dull, and come off quite comedic, but soon turns out they are pretty much the same as our main pair, just not in the lead role in this series. This is something to which I typically pay a lot attention, but this time our side characters are actually real characters and not filler people. I can appreciate that.

The art and animation are rather typical. Nothing note-worthy in terms of good or bad. It has chosen the safe route, which is fine. The seiyuus consist of some big names, but none which voice I have yet grown tired of hearing, so I have no problems with that. When it comes to the OST, I have been too busy giggling at the cute romance scenes so I completely did not pay attention to any of the songs or if there even were any present. I only recall the video game BGM from episode 1. The series made a good job on making me forget that I was watching an anime. This is pretty much the perfect prove -for myself at least- that it is a decent show.

I am seriously conflicted about this show. There are hits and misses in this show. First of all, it feels as if the story centres more around Kabakura and Koyanagi's blooming relationship more than Narumi and Nifuji. Nifuji is an extremely frustrating character. He doesnt really do anything much to progress his relationship with Narumi, and even if he did, it is either painstakingly slow or he will ruin it by either backing off or making unnecessary gesture to ruin the moment. The main highlight of this anime is actually the dynamics and friendship of the 4 main characters - their difference in personality, tastes and interestbounce off well creating realistic discussions on otaku/weeb culture amongst them. I find that really enjoyable.

Also, if you come to find love development between Nifuji x Narumi, it's either painstakingly slow or zero. the interesting relationship is actually Koyanagi x Kabakura, how they deal with their stubborn personalities and differences in taste and learn to reach a compromise in the end is a very realistic take of how an actual relationship works.

I see that this anime is extremely popular - maybe it is because of those that has already read the mange further ahead. But personally for me, i have mixed feelings about this anime. I wanted badly to see more progression or development in Nifuji's carefree non-chalant attitude towards Narumi and actually DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, and i hardly got much real romantic vibes between Nifuji x Narumi, more like awkward high school relationship where they cant even hold hands or kiss.

Towards the end, I find it real chore to finish this anime and the OVAs. I did but just wanna warn everyone - dont expect too much from Season 1 or the 3 OVAs.

I really don't understand how this anime gets this much praise, therefore i make it short and quick: One of the most boring animes i've ever watched and had to sit through (it was painful). >The idea had a lot of potential, but was very badly implemented. >The story and the characters are mega boring and the romance was non existent. >The art was pretty average and underwhelming. >The comedic approach wasn't well-conceived. I really wanted to like this anime, but was hugely disappointed. Can't recommend it at all...Save your precious time and don't watch it. How this anime could get a nearly 8 score isbeyond me.

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii (or simply Wotakoi), have two genres. Comedy and romance. That's it. Romcoms nowadays in the anime community has been popular in the late 2010's sparking a big genre called ''School''. Yet Im not talking about the ''School'' genre here. Im talking about how Wotakoi done an excellent job on progressing and making unique attempts on a Romantic-comedy segment that is surprisingly not taking place in a high school. Instead it follows the workplace of four unique characters. Unique as in every single one of this four have unique attributes that you can say ''How in the world does this four havea partner with their attitudes?''.

The story revolves mainly on the four characters of the show. Inspite of that, each episode offers uniqueness and heart-warming scenes that can make either audience feel comfortable or laugh at. It mainly focus on the lives of Nifuji Hirotaka (the quiet, not that sociable gamer), Momose Narumi (the cute, sparkling otaku and yaoi fan), Kabakura Tarou (the guy you always meet in the bar who looks like a thug but has a genuine heart) and Koyanagi Hanako (the cosplaying-loving woman and the only one who can stand-up against Kabakura.) Each episodes offers rare shots from a Rom-com like any other. Instead of doing classwork, they do office work. They are not students. They are adults. The fact that Wotakoi stands out this season is that its not like your typical high school drama like Tada-kun this season. It shows the picture of office workers and adulthood. The one thing that made this anime different to our ''in-real-life'' adulthood is that, Wotakoi still offers the taste of an otaku. Whether your a figurine collector, gamer, yaoi fan, manga fan or an anime fan, you can relate to either one or two or even every single character from these four and will make you laugh out loud. Its not only the environment is unique. The love story of this four as well. The fact that each character, have different taste, interest and attitude made them understand each other is truly inspiring. That is what you call friendship. Real friendship and that exist on the adulthood. I'm not against to the current status of Rom-coms on anime being on a high school environment. I mean some are good. Some are average. Although one thing is certain.. is that Wotakoi can upgrade the romantic-comedy segment into a whole new level.

Every anime comes down into judging it by art, and Wotakoi, in all honesty, made it average on my opinion. Average although watchable. You don't need a very good animation for a romantic-comedy and all. This is not action. Although I would love to note that the animation used in the gaming episode and the opening is excellent.

Speaking of the opening, this is one of those openings I added to my anime playlists because its just too good. Along with the animation and the dance (hands) choreography on the chorus of the opening, it is a great way to start off the episode. The ending as well. With its art picturing the characters like going home from a busy day of work to sleeping, with a cheerful singing, its just fit to the theme of Wotakoi.

Overall, this anime when I first saw it on the PV or trailer, I was expecting it to be a good take for romance and comedy genre and I was not disappointed going through the 11 episodes. Wotakoi is good uptake of the genre and I rated it this high because of its story, mixing it with well-developed characters, fine animation, heart-warming openings and endings, and a good comedic material.

Ok, so I tried so hard to like this show, I did. I fell in love with megane, (the show is so dreadful I only remember two people's names and they are side characters) at first but then he became so dull as a person, and not because of the cold-monotone personality they were trying to go for. He just was. Pink Hair chick, Momose (I had to open the info tab to get their names), is annoying, loud, and on more than one occasion admits she isn't attracted to her boyfriend. Now they go over this in the show where it could be a relationshipof convenience, (yes, yes it is), but it doesn't get resolved. These two have known each other since childhood, yet this moron doesn't know enough about him to be considered an acquaintance. I had to watch this more than once in case I missed things, sadly, I didn't.

Now Gingertoki (Kabakura) and Green Haired chick (Hanako) are like the worst example of a couple. Now, everyone has arguments here and there, especially when both people are stubborn, but f***ing dammit. Him calling her a hag is not cute. Her forcing him to do things isn't cute. They get into a fight and it doesn't even get resolved and it pisses me off. It's unhealthy this type of arguing. They only gave them a couple of good eps and even then it didn't last. Like before it became 100% established that they were dating they were better with each other, then it's made clear and they're at each other's throats just for breathing weird. There is so much they have to work on for a couple that's been together for a decade.

It was hard for me to believe that Hirotaka ever had a thing for this dumb chick since childhood. Like it all seemed forced.

For all those people that loved it for not being the high school show where it takes ages for the couple to admit their feelings, you have been tricked with this show. These two dated because "why not we're both otakus" (worst reason), and throughout the show they couldn't admit their feelings. He didn't tell her how long he liked her for, she was still uncertain of the whole relationship the whole damn time, she was still not attracted to him until he removed his glasses and other chicks wanted him. Saying she hadn't seen him like that. Honestly, I can barely see them as friends. It's not that they're going slow, there is no fucking chemistry, hell there was more chemistry with Momose (I did it, I remembered a name without having to look back) and Naoya. This whole show was Momose wondering if she loved Megane. They are literally acting like those kids that think they should date because they have things in common, but they really shouldn't because they just don't mesh well. So it is another high school show where the lead couple won't admit their feelings or act on them. It's just been dressed up differently.

Now the one thing that wasn't resolved and I fear it will be for season 2 that this show doesn't deserve, is the relationship with Naoya and Kou. Now those two were believable as a potential couple. It's like the writers spent more time making those two likable. Those seriously are the only ones I'm rooting for and even like. If there is a season 2, I won't watch it, but at least resolve something.

I give Garbagetaku a 2/10 only bc I love Naoya and Kou.

Wotakoi exudes the refreshing confidence of a story that deals with working adults rather than high schoolers. When dealing with amatory matters, Wotakoi is a damn sight more graceful and insightful than anime treatments of romance tend to be, the result of following characters with greater maturity, perspective, and experience than the standard oblivious teenagers. Nonetheless, while it establishes its central relationships with frank efficiency, the show doesn’t always convey the depth and warmth in those relationships that would make the statement in the title resonate. Love is hard for Love is Hard for Otaku. With the youngest of the four protagonistsbeing Narumi and Hirotaka at 26, Wotakoi’s quartet is comfortably lodged in adulthood already. These characters are settled into their hobbies and are well-invested in them; Koyanagi has an established reputation as a cosplayer, and Narumi enjoys some success as a doujinshi creator. They have inveterate tastes that they exhibit with the ease of people who have been otaku for the better part of two decades instead of just a couple of years, with Narumi functioning as the fujoshi, Hirotaka the gamer, Koyanagi the cosplayer, and Kabakura the guy who is deluded into thinking that he is comparatively normal but still loves Yuru Yuri at the age of 28. They all have regular office jobs (the same one, apparently) and can financially support themselves and their extracurricular activities. The lack of classrooms and uniforms and homework is, if only replaced by offices and business attire and overtime, a breath of fresh air.

Koyanagi has a self-possessed coolness that frequently rings hollow in younger characters, Kabakura’s seniority grants him some measure of actual authority, and Narumi’s infectious fangirl passions can drive her into 18+ territory without, as we might find in high school anime, vague suspicions that this might be inappropriate content for the characters. Even Hirotaka, a familiarly nondescript and inexpressive character, comes off as a purposeful recluse who does take note of himself and his environment to a greater degree than we might think, whereas a traditional high school context might have made him more of a caricature. No one is safe from miscommunication, self-deception, oblivious behavior, and petty disputes, but Wotakoi’s characters can handle themselves and their issues more adroitly than the usual cast of inexperienced adolescents.

In addition to the “adult” side of its characters, Wotakoi grasps the “otaku” side with understanding and aplomb usually absent from attempts to capture the quirks and feelings of a particular subculture in media (even if it’s that medium’s own subculture, there’s no guarantee of success). The games that Narumi has to play to sniff out fellow otaku at work, Kabakura’s stubbornness in maintaining his preferential integrity, Hirotaka’s uncharacteristically playful text-speak with Narumi, the jarring gravity well of encountering a regular person after too much time in the esoteric hobbyist sun, and the freeing therapy of having friends around whom you can express your true self are all true-to-life by my reckoning, and the numerous scenarios pulled from everyday life as a nerd, as well as references to properties like Evangelion and Cardcaptor Sakura, demonstrate some firsthand knowledge and love on the part of the creator(s). With each of the four leads representing a different subsubculture, as mentioned above, Wotakoi has plenty of opportunities to explore the habits and proclivities of its audience.

Where Wotakoi falters is in its amorous aspects. It’s true that Hirotaka and Narumi have excellent chemistry: they open up to each other right away and from then on become an inseparable and complementary duo. Likewise, though Koyanagi and Kabakura launch into shouting matches at the drop of a hat, their underlying affection never evaporates. What we don’t see are the big questions, the real fights, and the serious romance, which are only hinted at or glossed over in the show and need some presence if Wotakoi wants to distinguish itself as “Love is Hard for Otaku” instead of “Friendship is Easy for Otaku.” The title of episode two asks, “Are We Now Dating?”, and that’s a question whose circumspect response only approaches closure at the end of the series. In a pair of pairings that seem to have formed out of convenience – convenience for the characters, not for the story, which is a good thing – questions arise regarding the exact nature and future of these relationships.

Love really IS hard for otaku: in the case of Koyanagi and Kabakura, each party has made compromises to maintain a relationship with someone who can put up with their hobbies, and in the case of Narumi and Hirotaka, the two seem to hang out because they support each other’s pursuits and can facilitate the other’s professional success, as if it were an expedient business practice (Hirotaka’s first-episode “confession” was certainly more of a business proposal than anything else). Being part of such an active, obsessive subculture can make relating to outsiders difficult, or at least tiresome, so it’s not unrealistic that people would gravitate towards each other based on these superficial similarities. Those connections make for great friendships, though not necessarily lasting relationships. I wish that the characters displayed a bit more interest in each other as partners rather than pals.

Koyanagi and Kabakura, a veteran couple whom we know have been dating for about a decade now, don’t have much problem being affectionate with each other, relatively speaking; we see Koyanagi stealing kisses, Kabakura making clumsy but well-meaning gestures, and the two of them spending a lot of time together in the quiet manner attributable to couples who feel at home simply doing nothing in the same place. They’re clearly comfortable enough to trade vitriol when they’ve wheedled or casually insulted each other too much (with Koyanagi cutely shouting “BAKAKURA!”), and they know where to hit to make it hurt and how to placate the other side when it’s all over. But the show passes up many opportunities to look beyond the surface level and explore what makes this a fundamentally stable, loving partnership.

In episode 4, a distraught Koyanagi tearfully demands to know if Kabakura has “settled” for her; knowing that she isn't his “type,” she harbors doubts about whether their relationship has any firm foundation. Showing her in such an uncharacteristically vulnerable state, Wotakoi proves itself willing to ditch its often contented perspective to dig into some problems unique to the premise. Yet as Koyanagi breaks down, venting these insecurities that have apparently plagued her for a long time, Kabakura keeps his lips sealed. He gently chastises her for causing a scene, essentially dismissing her frustrations as drunk talk – not that he’s mean to her, because he is clearly sympathetic, but he totally whiffs on demonstrating his love for his long-term girlfriend. We don’t get the heart-to-heart where they express how they actually FEEL about each other. We don’t see them acknowledge that they’re together because of mutual love, not just mutual pastimes. Maybe the two of them have been through this before, but the audience hasn’t. To let Koyanagi’s entreaties go unanswered is to leave us wondering if she has stumbled upon an unfortunate truth that sours the tone of the show.

Narumi and Hirotaka have a different sort of relationship: one that leans toward platonic companionship. We almost never see the two of them in any kind of romantic context; they’re always joined by Koyanagi and Kabakura, or they’re playing video games like they did as kids, or they’re sabotaging through their own awkwardness the rare personal moments they do find. The shared interest in otaku culture, even broadly, is a big part of their chemistry – Narumi and Hirotaka can be themselves while they’re around each other, they understand each other’s peculiarities, and they can support each other’s dungeon crawling and Comiket preparations – and these things are very important, but where does the “love” in “Love is Hard for Otaku” come in? Narumi might get jealous of Hirotaka’s popularity or flustered by his occasional forwardness, but such scenes feel like obligatory reactions, not reflective of Narumi personally; she did walk into this relationship unexpectedly, it’s true, so this might be a lot to ask, but I had hoped that an anime about adults would be a little less anime about everything.

Hirotaka has been crushing on Narumi for years, as a few melancholy flashbacks establish, so his feelings are reasonably clear. Narumi has a few affectionately shaded moments, but little to suggest that she returns Hirotaka’s feelings. It feels like the two of them are masquerading as boyfriend and girlfriend because they each need someone to fill that role and they get along well, rather than because they’ve found legitimate life partners in each other. Sure, that’s how some relationships are in real life, and that’s really how the first episode presents it, and it’s not as though a close friendship itself is insignificant – but I don’t want to watch a romantic comedy about people who will hang out for a while because they’re good company and go their separate ways once the fun has been had. I want to see Hirotaka de-unrequite his love. Narumi has found someone who accepts her for who she truly is, and now I want to see something greater come from that. If we’re meant to believe that, however hard it may be, love – not brotherhood – between otaku is ultimately sustainable, I want to see evidence of a future in this relationship. I want to hear one character say the words “I love you” to another. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Hirotaka is 26 and he can’t hold his girlfriend’s hand. Maybe this is set in high school after all.

Still, Wotakoi does throw us a bone now and then. The characters go on dates, they buy each other gifts, they spend quality time together, they acknowledge each other as girlfriend and boyfriend... I wish that things could be clearer and more satisfying, but as I opened this review by saying, this show still has a serious leg up on most of its competition. Overall, I’m thrilled with the easy companionship these characters have with each other and the fun that they share.

Visually, Wotakoi has middling production values: generally good, with nothing that stands out as being egregiously under-animated; the episodes vary in quality and some scenes are just a little off-model or bare-bones. Nothing matches the OP in terms of quality, though it is an unusually great OP, with some very fluid (and infectiously adorable) dance routines from the starring couples set to a cool, catchy, relaxing tune that matches the tone of the show. The color scheme of pink, blue, green, and orange is a little weird at first, but it works well for the characters.

In a cast that includes Miyuki Sawashiro, Tomokazu Sugita, and Yuuki Kaji, it’s Arisa Date who steals the spotlight as Narumi. Her eccentric, spirited delivery spans all the rapid tonal shifts and quirky affectations that would be characteristic of an energetic girl like Narumi, especially when gushing about her passions to her close friends. Taking a very close second is Aoi Yuuki, whose clipped, husky reading of Kou’s lines makes for the most painfully accurate expression of social anxiety I’ve seen this side of WataMote. Kou is hands-down my favorite character and it is a true shame that she only gets introduced in the second-to-last episode. I am ready for my three-cour spin-off anime about Kou’s daily life. I want to see a Kou-On! that’s just about Kou sitting around, playing video games, and drinking tea.

Overall, Wotakoi is a great series, and in spite of a few unengaging story lines, some potential for better production, and how long I’ve spent bemoaning what I perceive to be its shortcomings, it offers an all-too-rare alternative to the billions of cookie-cutter high school romance anime that for all intents and purposes characterize the medium of anime in its present form better than almost anything else.

I'll preface this by saying that I have not read any of the manga for this series. You don't necessarily expect much to happen in a slice of life type show, but with Wotakoi, there is very little payoff. It all ends up feeling incredibly flat; each episode follows its own structure and there isn’t much of an overarching story being built. Everything is just enjoyable enough to keep you strung along hoping that something will eventually happen. And, it’s not to say that the characters don’t sometimes have their moments. There are cute interactions or jokes that land here and there, but the frequencyisn’t high enough to warrant a higher rating than a 5/10 for me.

The romance is absolutely subdued here, and it doesn't really feel like much of a focus at all most of the time. Essentially, it just feels as though the show doesn't really know what it wants to be. Does it want to be a slice of life about 4 otaku nerds working in the same office? Or does the series want to try to explore a clumsy nerdy romance between two childhood friends? The show never seems to extend very far beyond: “These MCs are nerds! Wow aren’t they awkward and relatable? They’re so interested in vidya, manga and anime, perhaps like you, the viewer?”

Ultimately, where this particular anime struggles is the character development. The characters are likable, but don't expect them to change much at all from the first episode to the last. Other romance anime do a better job of developing the relationship between the primary protagonists. However, this show really likes to emphasize that otaku lack social skills, which accomplishes about as much as you might think. This show truly is a slice of life at its core, and going in expecting more than that may leave you disappointed.

A personal gripe for me was that a side character, Kou, is introduced far too late into the series. I really would have loved to see more of her, but there simply wasn’t enough time in an 11 episode timeframe. It was cute, and a romance could have easily bloomed there.

All in all, this is a very average anime, propped up by largely forgettable, bland characters. But hey, the characters are nice to look at, and most of the voice acting is well done. At least it’s cute!

Story - 3

Art - 6

Sound - 7

Character - 4

Enjoyment - 5

Overall - 5

I hate long reviews myself, so I'm gonna make it short. Full disclaimer, I dropped it after watching 6 episodes. MC - Main Character FMC - Female Main Character This is not a romance anime even though it has the romance tag. The pathetic amount of romance it has is pretty one-sided and goes nowhere. Someone needs to tell these mangakas that there needs to be progress and not at a turtle speed. I mean, the premise was good, but I was expecting the main couple to start developing feelings for one another over time but that never happened. By the 6 episode, it was clear to me that theMC liked the FMC but there was no sign of romantic interest from the FMC side. Hell, she treated other male characters better than she did the MC, and on top of that, it was pretty clear that the MC wasn't even her type, meaning she was not attracted to him, which is fine by me but ONLY if it slowly starts to change. Sadly, as I said, it did not.

Overall: I was pretty disappointed because I did not get what I wanted from the show. One-sided love is not fun to watch especially if it does not develop into something more. A rom-com that has VERY little romance.

Recommendation: Skip it. There are far better rom-coms out there such as Kamisama Hajimemashita.