Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

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]

Nifuji, Hirotaka Main

Itou, Kent Japanese

Koyanagi, Hanako Main

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Momose, Narumi Main

Date, Arisa Japanese

Kabakura, Tarou Main

Sugita, Tomokazu Japanese

Sakuragi, Kou Supporting

Yuuki, Aoi Japanese

Nifuji, Naoya Supporting

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Mitsui, Kensuke Supporting

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

Baba Supporting

Terashima, Takuma Japanese

Aiba Supporting

Yashiro, Taku Japanese

Ichijou, Yoshiki Supporting

Akabane, Kenji Japanese

Fujiyama, Naokado Producer

Suzuki, Kenta Producer

Shibata, Misaki Assistant Producer

Nagayama, Asami Assistant Producer

Reviews

Feb 20, 2025

jennisiaria

Recommended

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is basically a love letter to all the geeks and nerds out there, wrapped in a cozy little anime blanket. Imagine if you took your average office romance, threw in a bunch of awkward, socially inept anime nerds, and gave them a plot where they have to figure out how to not totally mess up their relationships while also binge-watching anime and playing video games. It’s pure chaos, and I’m here for it.

The show revolves around two main characters: Narumi, who’s trying to keep her otaku side on the down-low at work, and Hirotaka, a self-proclaimed “cool guy” who’s ... also a hardcore gamer. The romantic tension between them is the perfect blend of “are they ever going to kiss?” and “please stop acting like a weird 12-year-old and just confess already.” It’s one of those slow-burn romances that you’re rooting for because, let’s face it, they’re both socially awkward messes, and you want them to make it work just so you can see them stop embarrassing themselves in public.

The best part of Wotakoi? The side characters. They’re the real MVPs. You’ve got Hanako and Koyanagi, the couple that’s just as dysfunctional as Narumi and Hirotaka, but with more drama and sass. Watching them argue about which anime is better, or who’s the bigger geek, is basically the comedy gold that keeps the show from becoming too sappy. Honestly, they’re the funniest part of the whole series—way better than your average "will they or won’t they" romantic trope.

Let’s talk about the animation, though. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s got that chill, simple style that matches the vibe of the show. The characters are cute, the colors are bright and poppy, and it all fits the goofy, playful tone perfectly. It’s like watching your favorite slice-of-life comedy with a couple of nerdy characters you’d love to have a drink with (except you’d probably be too busy arguing about which anime is best or obsessing over your latest cosplay project).

Now, if there’s one thing Wotakoi doesn't do, it’s anything groundbreaking in the romantic department. It’s not like you’ll finish the show thinking, "Wow, that was a life-changing love story!" But you will definitely think, “Wow, these people are a mess, and I love them for it.” If you’re an otaku or just someone who’s ever been in a relationship that involves more awkward silences than sweet moments, you’ll totally get it.

So, in summary, Wotakoi is a cute, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt anime that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s like watching your own nerdy, socially-awkward self get the love story you deserve, complete with awkward moments, inside jokes, and way too many references to anime. Would I call it the greatest romance anime ever? Nah. But it’s definitely a fun, comforting watch that makes you feel seen if you’ve ever spent too many hours on the couch with your favorite anime or video game.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jan 12, 2025

Infinitysenseigo

Mixed Feelings

this anime is great, but the ending was bad. unless this gets a season 2. dont get me wrong, i enjoyed watching this, but the ending was one of the worst ive seen. personally, i love the plot of them all being otakus, that piqued my interest to watch. not recommended for low attention span tiktok kids lmao. but i think alot of people will like this because alot.of my friends really liked it tho. i love the personalities of the main characters but i think they should add more characters like in the manga.
overall a solid 7/10, recommended (even for newbies)

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Nov 16, 2024

Rekuiemu

Not Recommended

This anime is in the perspective of a delusional fujoshi and you'll probably not like it if you're a guy.
The writing is very safe, like HR in the room kind of thing, but since it's not aimed at global audience, it's a little bit spicy sometimes
This feels more like an introduction to otaku culture rather than an inside view of an otaku circle. At the first episode we had a premise that the Momose wanted to successfully hide her otaku nature this time but this premise is betrayed in 1st or 2nd episode. She's an otaku but she likes bad boys which belittle her ... otaku self, but the kind of otaku we see here in the form of Hirotaka is so bland, unimaginative and unrealistic, it's like a caricature of the guy in teenage girl novels, maybe even worse because he doesn't open up at all. Anything he does is forced in a way to progress the story. Now I see as I wrote this, looking at Momose I can see that her previous partners left her due to her irresponsible personality, she's not a wife material, just sex friend at best and she's getting passed the age of marriage. And she blames her misfortune on being and otaku rather than having a rotting personality who's head is outside of the realm of reality. To her life must be an imitation of the fictional material she consumes. I wish I never watched this.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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