Hello and Welcome to my review of Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku!
Based on the webcomic/manga(manga being published by Ichijinsha in Japan and Kodansha Comics in the U.S.), Wotakoi is about two otaku working in the same office and their daily lives and budding relationship with each other and those around them.
So let’s start off with the good things about this show!
THE GOOD:
Each of the characters in Wotakoi all have really relatable qualities about them(especially if your an otaku). Narumi Momose is a Fujoshi who likes Otome Games and Idols, Hirotaka Nifuji is a game otaku who spends his free time(when not around friends) playing games(at the time of this anime, mostly Monster Hunter), Hanako Koyanagi is a Cosplay otaku(who normally cosplays male characters) who also plays games and reads yaoi manga and Taro Kabakura is a hero and bishojo otaku. If you’re an otaku of any kind you can understand the interests of each character and can understand the want to share your favorite things with other otaku.
The opening theme to Wotakoi is called “Fiction” by Sumika(also known for the I want to eat your Pancreas opening theme) and it’s quite the bop. It fits the show by showing how close Narumi, Hirotaka, Hanako and Taro are to one another, along with adding some cute dance moves from each of the characters. The lyrics to the song express that there are ups and downs in relationships but give you the reminder that while there are downs, the ups will always be more frequent. “In preparation for all the times you’ll feel down, Never forget to put tabs on your most exciting times.
Keep them as your treasures”.
(source: https://www.animesonglyrics.com/wotaku-ni-koi-wa-muzukashii/fiction)
It’s fairly obvious that the character interactions in a show like Wotakoi are the focal point of the show and it’s where the show really shines. The Seiyuu for this show really make each character stand out with their reactions and vocal inflections. Date Arisa-san(Emi Nanba in IM@S CG, Rumi in Punchline and Maril Cavendish in Little Witch Academia) really captures Narumi’s over the top reactions and vocal inflections when it comes to the more silly and emotional moments for her, Ito Kent-san(Michio Hazama in IM@S Side M, Shushin in Reikenzan and Soma Mizuno in the upcoming show Yubisaki kara no Honki no Netsujo) really capture’s Hirotaka well with the smoothness and baritone of his voice(much like a lot of Otome characters have). Sawashiro Miyuki-san(Saeko Busujima in Highschool of the Dead, Seo Yuzuki in Nozaki-kun and Mordred aka Saber of Red in Fate/Apocrypha to a name a few of her many roles) very much captures Hanako Koyanagi’s older senpai voice(very ara ara) and her experience in not only the relationship department but also the shared interest in boys love she has with Momose and Sugita Tomokazu-san(Kazuyoshi “Switch” Usui in Sket Dance, Joseph Joestar in JoJo’s Bizarre Advenure Battle Tendency arc and Yusuke Kitagawa in Persona 5 the animation just to name a few of his roles) captures Kabakura’s rough around the edges attitude and gruffness when it comes to angry vocal inflections, though there are times when Kabakura speaks calmly about his relationship with Koyanagi is when he truly shines through.
The ending theme to Wotakoi is “Kimi no Tonari” or “Next to You” by halca(also known for the S2 ED of the Ace Attorney anime and more recently the Kaguya-sama: Love is War ED!) and it’s beautifully performed! It shows the busy life of all four main characters through their daily office routines and coming together at the end of the day to unwind as friends and as couples. The lyrics express how similar people can be in relationships but still be awkward around one another which fit our main characters very well, “Right next to you is my comfortable place. We are a bit awkward pair. We are trying our best to step together. You are struggling. Like falling down a flight of stairs, let’s fall in love. We’ll play it by ear as we make our way together. We’ll be fine~”
source: https://www.animesonglyrics.com/wotaku-ni-koi-wa-muzukashii/kimi-no-tonari
The Bad:
Like always, with a lot of good there is always some bad. So let’s go over the couple of bad things about Wotakoi(which aren’t about the show itself)
So in order to watch Wotakoi on a legal platform, you have to have Amazon prime(which is costly in and of itself). Though thankfully you can get a free 30 day trial to Amazon prime at first so you have plenty of time to watch this show for free during that time(only for new subscribers, not sponsored).
Another minor problem is that it’s so short! The anime for Wotakoi traverses 11 episodes(which is an episode shorter than the normal 12 episode run), thankfully the manga is out there both in hard copy and digital so if you want more, those options are available.
The Final Thought:
Wotakoi is a splendid look into the life of Otaku Office workers and their trials and tribulations of having a relationship with someone who enjoys the same things as you do. It’s a cute slice of life show with a basis of realism in the nature of humans in love with one another. The opening is a bop, the characters are relatable and are brought to life by a really fun cast of seiyuu and the ed is a charming wind down to every episode.
In my book Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku gets a 4.5/5 from me, Highly recommend it to those who enjoy a slice of life comedy or those who need a show that you can also understand on a real level.
Thank you for reading my review of Wotakoi! I’ll see you again next month with another Monthly Blog update, until next time!
HonoYoRu thoughts 