Wotakoi : Love is Hard for Otaku by Fujita
When childhood friends Narumi and Hirotaka run into each other as adults, it soon becomes evident that since they’re both adult otaku that they would make a good couple.
The Story
So the story was quite promising for me. I thought it would be really cute to see two awkward characters navigate their relationship. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much about their actual romantic relationship that made me keep reading to see how they cope. Now it has been a few years since I was an avid manga reader/anime watcher. But I would have to say that I definitely focused on a lot of shoujo, slife-of-life, romance. So it makes me a little sad to say that this doesn’t have a lot of romance to it, and ends up really being shoujo, slice of life. Which in all honesty means it’s just little tid bits here and there but no real continuous story.
This first installment is mainly just about how the characters get together and the initial start to their relationship. All in all, not a lot really happens. However, so far, there are a lot of manga tropes happening that are sure to make readers happy. Some of these include BL/fujoshi, cosplay, and many old school anime references.
My question is, is it really enough to keep people interested? Where is the conflict that keeps the reader going from one volume to the next? Obviously so, since they’re making an anime out of it.
The Characters
Aside from our stoic main male character and closet-otaku female character we are given two goofy side characters who are also in a relationship. While their relationship stems mostly of violence and arguing, it does add a little flavor to the manga itself.
The Art
I think the real shining star for this manga is the art. With the larger bubbly eyes on the main female and the sleek slimmer features of the male characters, this manga is sure to draw attention to those in a post 2000 era. My favorite part might have been the clever in between chapter visuals that were provided, yes even the chibi versions. I am a sucker for chibi characters, they are just so darn cute.
For those not wildly as informed on some of Japanese culture as someone like me (studied Japanese, spent several months in Japan doing culture studies, as well as have been previously a minor otaku) they provide visual explanations at the end of the chapters explaining the references that go far more in depth than just the *foot notes that are included in scantalations.
