Having slept through all four of her alarms, the energetic Narumi Momose finds herself running late for her first day of work at a new office. As she races to catch her train, she makes a promise to herself that none of her coworkers will find out about her dark secret: that she is an otaku and a fujoshi. Her plan goes instantly awry, though, when she runs into Hirotaka Nifuji, an old friend from middle school. Although she tries to keep her secret by inviting him out for drinks after work, her cover is blown when he casually asks her whether or not she will be attending the upcoming Summer Comiket. Luckily for her, the only witnesses—Hanako Koyanagi and Tarou Kabakura—are otaku as well. Later that night, the pair go out for drinks so that they can catch up after all the years apart. After Narumi complains about her previous boyfriend breaking up with her because he refused to date a fujoshi, Hirotaka suggests that she try dating a fellow otaku, specifically himself. He makes a solemn promise to always be there for her, to support her, and to help her farm for rare drops in Monster Hunter. Blown away by the proposal, Narumi agrees immediately. Thus the two otaku start dating, and their adorably awkward romance begins. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
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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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Wotaku ni koi muzukashii (or Wotakoi for short) is a really nice and cute anime. Now I have seen some comments saying that this anime has no plot and is just the daily lives of some otaku people. Have you not heard of Slice of Life? This is very much a slice of life, it has little to no plot but is just stuff that happens nearly on the daily. It is nice. The comedy also nicely hits, usually, if an anime is boring I find myself skipping a lot, but this anime I do not skip times so that is good. The story is about these4 people, and they are otakus (nerds). One of them like Yaoi, one is a cosplayer, one loves video games, one loves collecting idols, etc. There are 2 couples in those people, and they are very open about their nerdiness in front of each other. It is very wholesome. This anime appeases the otaku fandom and romanticizes them in my opinion. Sure nothing wrong with loving a hobby, but being that engrossed in something to the point where it affects your relationship is wild and is romanticized here. The music is nice. OP is really really good, music is nice and all but OP animation is amazing. Animation quality is also really good. I liked it. Overall really nice show! 8/10 still not really life-changing as I would give 9 or 10/10's. It is a nice comedic SoL anime. Thanks! -CyanCheetah
I had Wotakoi hyped up to hell and back by everyone who mentioned it to me, so I went in expecting some kind of revalatory moment of pure anime nirvana. What I got was a show that was altogether good, but beyond that, it was relatable. As what would be considered an otaku, at least within the scope set by the show, I was able to recognize the struggles that the characters went through. Having a romcom anime that covers a relationship that's in its infancy is interesting, and the characters are absolutely adorable, but there was no moment that really raised this series beyondbeing just good. I'd recommend it for someone who wants a relatable romantic comedy that has little in the way of drama or conflict. It's a feel good show that delivers on the premise it declares. No more, no less.
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.
I'm wondering what's happening with slice of life shows lately. It's as if anime producers had a secret consensus, and on it they decided they'll sneak in non-existent plot into shows, and focus on making money with as little effort as possible. News flash: just because a show has slice of life genre in it, it doesn't allow it to be boring to the point of being a comatose-inducing drug. I can give you endless examples of other shows being super interesting regardless of main theme simply tracking a character or characters' lives or other barely existing plot examples. Wotakoi went off rails with plot less thanmid-way through, and decided to show filler episodes instead. Now, I haven't read the manga and perhaps it's different in it, but it doesn't excuse the poor, or rather, a complete lack of pacing and direction, resulting in my lack of engagement. Slightly annoying factor is that the shows such as this one somehow get a pass by an average person's critique and are now considered quality shows, when they are not. I get that by making the setting as uncomplicated as possible, you know, just a regular present day, no supernatural circumstances, or no deep psychological battle mysteries like known to all Death Note, no melodrama or different harem routes, none of that shit, it's guaranteed to avoid pretty much any illogical executions, events, inconsistencies or plot holes, like many action series suffer from for example, but there's no excuse for having a lack of guidance altogether and just call it quits. Atmosphere is lovely, characters are sympathetic, it's bundled in nice, shiny wrappings, the overall presentation is great, yet it ultimately fails to deliver any conclusion, it's too tedious and lacks life. I'm sorry but this will not go unnoticed by some people, myself included. I don't hate this show by a long shot, but I don't know how and/or why do these types of shows always leave a bad taste in my mouth.
TL;DR It's a 7/10 show that is not meant for everyone. If romcoms are not your genre or want a romance that heavily focuses on development like Tsuki ga Kirei, then I wouldn't recommend it. The humor is good. The Opening is probably the best this season. However, I don't think the 3 episode rule applies here, if you don't like Romantic-Comedies. Wotakoi is a romantic-comedy that steps into the light of adulthood, and basks in the glory of being an Otaku? I'm just kidding. Being an otaku in society is still seen as a overall negative from all the weird things like Hentai and Cosplaymaking people seem deranged for dressing as weird fantasy characters... BUT THAT'S GETTING OFF TOPIC. Anyways, Wotakoi is a light-hearted anime that really brings out what makes the romcom scene enjoyable. The character dynamics between all three of the couples: Narumi x Hirotaka ; Kabakura x Koyanagi ; Naoya x Kou, add a level of chemistry and flavor that never steps into disturbing or overbearing with its amount of fluff. Those who are expecting a fully-developed story with lots of romantic progression or character development are going to be sadly disappointed though. Neither of those elements get pushed forward. But, that isn't mean they aren't nurtured. Throughout the entire 11 episodes, the emotions and affection that we see nurtured throughout the entire series, while small, are noticeably different from episode 1 to the ending. Is this a show that everyone should watch? No. I don't think everyone is going to enjoy Wotakoi. It's an anime that feels like it was produced and developed for people like myself who grew up with Romantic-Comedies, and understand that speed is an aspect that rarely happens within these shows.
Honestly, I'm sure If I should do a full review on this anime, just because it feels like there is more to come. It ended on such a weird note and it made you feel like there was another episode to watch after 11. However, considering that this was a fairly recent anime and the world as we all know is going through a pandemic, it can be fairly difficult to release more episodes since it takes a considerable amount of time to draw and animate adaptations from a manga. With that out of the way lemme break down why I have given "Wotakoi: Love is Hardfor Otaku" a 10/10. Story - 10/10 Firstly, growing up from a kid to an adult can be scary and also exciting at the same time. We all have our own favorite hobbies, interests, or that dirty little secret that you just want to keep quiet about, and believe me I have few secrets which I would never share with anyone, no matter who they are. Nowadays, people don't like to admit it but it's part of our society and how we live in. This anime essentially touches on that topic, the English translation of the title is "It's Difficult to Love an Otaku" which if your living underneath a rock essentially means it's difficult to find love while you personally love all things anime and manga-related. Bring in characters that are exactly like that and work together in an office can bring an interesting storyline on what a possible scenario outcome would be. Welcome to a story of office romance, finding love, and a strong culture of otakus and gamers. Now, for those who watch anime and read manga on a daily basis, you can heavily relate to this show as it can be hard to find love or a potential relationship if someone like you watches this kind of thing. Opening up about this sort of topic can tell a lot about your personality and sharing it with friends can be a difficult experience too. You have no idea how your friend might react once they know you like watching anime and reading manga. Some people would take it and blow it out of proportion and make fun of you, call you names, and eventually that friendship would fizzle, it's the same sort of thing if you had a girlfriend/boyfriend, and during this anime one character by the name of Narumi, Momose had that exact same experience and her relationship with her boyfriend, it fizzled then died. She then, therefore, vowed to herself that she would keep her love for anime and manga a secret and would never share it with anyone unless they like the same thing. This anime's story was truly sweet, cute, funny, and quirky at the same time. The plot twists were fairly minimal and you can follow the story of a relationship-building between Hirotaka and Narumi. Art - 9/10 As always, the art was truly well done. The design of the characters looked great, but I guess it took me a while to adjust to the eyes of certain characters, but only because most of the other anime's I have watched, the character's eyes were big and bold. I did however get used to it but anything slightly different than the eye design in this anime would kinda put me off. However, overall, the art and surroundings were superb and it really set the tone well. Sound - 9/10 Fabulous, nothing else much to say. The opening was so catchy and so cheery it was perfect to hum along to when starting a new episode and that ending theme, my god, was utterly brilliant. I have even edited that soundtrack and turned it into a mobile phone/cell phone ringtone, it is that good. Of course, the soundtracks within the anime complemented all the scenes really well. Character - 10/10 I think I've covered most of this section in the art and story sections but I guess I could say a few words here and try not to repeat myself. The character's in this anime were truly well portrayed and it made an all-around enjoyable experience to watch. The personality's of the characters were really interesting to learn about; :- a girl with an obsessed love interest for anime and manga. :- a boy who loves gaming and would not eat, drink or sleep during a vacation and just keep playing his games. :- a girl who loves cosplaying as a guy (very interesting indeed, I wonder how she hid those humungous hungolomghnonoloughongous) while she was cosplaying. and finally :- a guy who likes watching anime and reading manga It made the entire story and experience of this anime and really enjoyable one, I just wish there were more episodes, but I guess it's the waiting game now, hmmm. Overall - 10/10 This anime was really good and I really enjoyed it, I would like to thank all my otaku friends for recommending me this anime, a solid choice and yes I would recommend this anime to all my friends who haven't seen it. Well, that pretty much sum's up my review for "Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku", if more episodes come out, I might add more but for now, time to watch another anime. Thank you very much for reading if you got this far, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. cryyptt_ <3
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 decided to watch this anime after searching through the romance category of anime cause I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff and I'm glad I decided to watch this! Story: The story basically revolves around these two couples who all work in the same office who are all otakus (pretty much meaning nerds for anime, manga, games, cosplay, u name it) who all happen to be friends! Its a real slice of life anime that I enjoyed watching. It was mellow, realistic, sweet and funny. Art: The art was decent! The designs of characters are important for me in a show and all ofthe characters in this show looked good as did the places they went to. Sound: Nothing that really stood out or disappointed. Character: All the characters were good! They all worked well off each other and i really didn't have a problem with anyone! Usually in a romance anime, there will be that one person you can't stand that tries to get in between a couple but I'm glad i didn't have to worry about that for this. Everyone was chill. Enjoyment, Overall: I had a good time watching this show! If anything, I wish there were more episodes so we could see the relationships progress more than it did but hey maybe there will be a season 2 or ova! I highly recommend it to people who want to see a real chill, funny slice of life that is somewhat romantic that doesn't have pointless petty drama that doesn't make sense:)
*Disclaimer* Just personal scratch. Advised, possible spoilers. Opinion & Informal Art: 6/10 Pretty standard, but was cute and pretty I guess. Bright colors and clean. Animation: 6/10 Pretty simple. No action scenes and is pretty much a shoujo. Plot: 6/10 Just a SoL romance. The daily lives of the main couples.Development/Conclusion: 6/10 Open ended ending with some pretty good vibes. I like how the little brother has potential with the new girl they added. There were a couple cute scenes. A bit of character growth for the main dude. Not much development or backstory with the side couple. Sort of disappointing main couple development. Music: 7/10 Catchy and cute. No sound design to note. Bgm unnoticeable. Characters: 7/10 All the couples were cute. I liked their interactions. The main dude is sort of too bland for being a bland MC. I didn't particularly like any of the characters except for that new gamer girl they added in late. I just appreciated the cute couples. Overall: 6/10 It was fine but I wouldn't consider this a stand-out among Shoujo. This is a pretty flexible translation of the manga. I actually find this better than the manga.
THE GOOD: Golden comedy moments sprinkled with romance and otaku references aplenty will make you smile throughout the episodes. Audio production is solid, from music to voice acting (particular nod to OP and ED themes, both great). THE MEH: Visuals and animation are average, but they are enhanced by a decent direction. Comedic timing can be off in some cases, but not enough to spoil the experience. THE BAD: The series is very episodic, so you can't expect a real plot or any story/character arc. There's a hint of an arc at the very end with Kou, but that's cut short without any closure. That's not the real issue though: thereare many good romcoms out there which are episodic in nature (e.g. My Love Story). The elephant in the room, here, is the characterization: the protagonists are all grown-up adults and office workers, but NOT ONCE in the series they face or even discuss about adult or work-related problems. This makes the whole office setting just "cosmetic". If almost all the interactions could be carried out by college students or even high-schoolers, it means that the MCs characterization is pretty weak. FINAL THOUGHTS: It's a nice and lightweight series if you just want to unplug after a day's work, but you won't find anything more than that, here. Recommended only if you're a hardcore otaku.