Genre: Romance, comedy, slice of life
Rating: PG-13
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Episodes: 11
Available on: Amazon Prime
Overview:
Momose Narumi and Nifuji Hirotaka were childhood friends. After being apart through high school the pair end up reuniting through their office job. Narumi is a fujoshi whilst Hirotaka is a game otaku. The both of them share their common interest in otaku culture and this reunion between the two of them sparks a new otaku romance.
Review:
Wotakoi was a pure delight to watch. It gave me a warm, fluffy feeling inside which made me crave more and more episodes (as well as make me want my own otaku boyfriend). Anime that is based around otaku is always something I find enjoyable as it is often a funny and relatable topic and Wotakoi did just that.
One of the parts I enjoyed most with this anime was the use of different otaku. I feel sometimes that anime just groups otaku together if it’s brought up. Wotakoi explored the fact that otaku can be a hobby which brings people together but there are also many different types. Narumi and Hirotaka for example have substantially different interests within the one subculture and it made the episodes fun to watch as each character was unique and it made otaku hobbies they shared together more interesting. Seeing Kabakura freak out when it came down to Koyanagi’s hobbies such as reading BL in front of him and crossplaying to the point where girls fawn over her was genuinely funny and really made me laugh. It’s something that I, as an otaku myself, I can relate to and therefore make it ten times funnier.
Often with anime centred around otaku they are usually in high school like in Lucky Star or are social recluses like in MMO Junkie. Wotakoi was a breath of fresh air with a different take on the otaku demographic. I loved the fact that four otaku’s all worked in an office together. They were smartly dressed and got on with their work just like anyone else. Their hobbies don’t consume them or let it completely rule their lives. This series showed that fully grown, working adults can balance work and their otaku hobbies. In society I think sometimes subcultures such as the otaku kind can be looked down upon and it’s almost as if society wants you to grow up and stop liking ‘stuff that looks like it’s for children’. It’s an annoying thing to face and this anime proved that your hobbies aren’t something you just grow out of as you become an adult. I love the pure happiness, excitement and passion that each character projected in this series as it mirrors how I behave when it comes to anime and manga. Everything from figures to voice actor events is important to them and I love that fact.
This anime also had its fair share of other anime references. I saw homages to Eromanga-sensei, Yura Yuri, Touken Ranbu and The Ancient Magus Bride. I don’t know why but there is something so exciting to me about seeing anime references other anime. I like the anime-ception of it and I like being apart of the inside joke of it.
The romance elements of the series warmed my little heart. The main four characters were all very likeable for their own reasons. I especially loved Kabakura and Koyanagi’s characters and their relationship. Whilst their relationship is problematic with their constant need to fight with one another, it made the more romantic scenes much cuter.
My only qualm with Wotakoi was the length. First of all, who decided on eleven episodes? Couldn’t they just have made twelve or thirteen instead of cutting me off at eleven? I hardly thing its fair subjecting such a fun anime to only eleven episodes. I hope that A-1 Pictures give this anime another season as I need more otaku cuteness. If a fun, cute anime filled to the brim with otaku culture is what you need then I cannot recommend Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku enough.
Overall rating: 8/10
Until next time thanks for reading and I hope you’re having a great day!
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