Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

Title:Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii
Love is Hard for Otaku
Wotakoi
ヲタクに恋は難しい
Overall:Rent
Keywords: , , , , , ,
Notables: Animation - A1 Pictures
Narumi, a female office worker who hides her fujoshi lifestyle, and Hirotaka, a handsome and capable company man who is secretly a game otaku. The two seem perfect for each other, but love is difficult for a nerd.
(Summary Courtesy of Anime News Network)


11-episode TV anime that premiered on April 13, 2018.
Animated by A-1 Pictures.
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Rent 8 7 8 6 7 7 Ggultra2764 [series:3513#1552]
Wotakoi focuses on two romantic pairings of adult otaku working in the same office setting together, with the series focusing on the quirks and awkward developments that take place in the relationship developments of both pairs. Wotakoi offers a believable focus on how adult life would be for an otaku within a working environment, something I haven't seen seriously explored in many anime titles focused around them. For instance, Narumi conceals her otaku interests from her co-workers at first due to the social stigma that many have toward them. However, she does gradually become more open with them upon realizing Hirotaka and a few other co-workers have their own interests within the office she works. The series then explores her growing relationship with Hirotaka, that contributes both its amusing and heartwarming moments due to the different interests and personalities both have as otaku where the two learn the ins and outs of being in a relationship and better understanding one another. The comedy was a bit hit or miss for me, but I did enjoy the awkward and gradual developments shown with Narumi and Hirotaka's relationship. If you are looking for a series different from the norm in featuring life as an otaku, I'd say Wotakoi is decent in its exploration on an otaku's life in the working world and starting a relationship.

Last updated Thursday, June 21 2018. Created Thursday, June 21 2018.
Unevaluated Stretch [series:3513#628]
(Five episodes watched):

This show actually seems to me to be more about comedy than about romance. That may be a problem, because the jokes are OK but not brilliant, which means an engaging plot will be needed to pick up the slack. And so far, I'm not seeing that. There's no sign of a deep and moving romance, unlikely coincidences abound, and it appears that no attempt is being made to take seriously the hurdles which an otaku might face in dating. It's almost as if in anime in general otaku social problems are seldom addressed, perhaps because of some fear that otaku would be offended by that and non-otaku wouldn't be interested, and as a result both wouldn't watch the particular show. So, such things are only treated as a source of flippant humor rather than as potentially serious problems. That's a shame and a waste of opportunity in my mind. Nevertheless, I continued watching Wotakoi, in hopes that it would get better. It's modestly amusing, but there are no questions--not even 'will they fall in love or not?--that I felt I needed answers to. I doubt if the characters will have gotten much more developed at the end of this series than they were at the end of episode one.

Unfortunately, my impression at around the halfway point is that the show hadn't gotten any better, and if anything it had gotten worse. The thought occurred to me that after watching 9 minutes of episode six I couldn't remember even smiling, much less laughing, at any point so far. And Narumi and Hirotaka fool around but there's no sign of them falling in love. The fact that I have written so little about the show is indicative that, as I mentioned earlier, it struck me as more of a comedy than a true romance. I was frustrated by a show that had a premise with potential, but didn't seem to want to either be funny or tell an engaging story. So I eventually quit watching.

Last updated Thursday, August 16 2018. Created Tuesday, April 17 2018.

Other Sites
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Official Japanese Series Web Site http://wotakoi-anime.com/

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