Common Name: Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii
Alternative Names: WotaKoi, Love is Hard for Otaku Women, It's Difficult to Love an Otaku
Score: 7/10, 3/5
Length: 11 Episodes
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Summary: Momose Narumi and Nifuji Hirotaka are two otaku that have gotten along since they were kids, but things have just never worked out for them to be anything more than friends. As an adult, Narumi has always thought it best to date guys and hide her otaku nature. Hirotaka, however, has just never been capable or confident enough to express the feelings he's had all along. Their chance arrives, however, when the two of them unexpectedly reunite as coworkers. For better or worse, they decide to finally give it a shot, realizing that neither needs to conceal their habits or feels from the other. Whether real feelings of love will develop between these two or it'll all just come crashing down, only time will tell.
Review: Unlike most romantic comedies, trying to review this show puts me in something of a difficult position. With most romcoms, I could critique the show's plot, themes, pacing, all the things that a story depends on to function and attract an audience. Yet I can't really comment on any of those things because Wotakoi is not built on or compelled by a traditional story. While things do happen and there is an overarching storyline, the story isn't what is trying to be expressed or appreciated. Rather, this show is built on the backs of its characters, their interactions, and their effectiveness at expressing feelings and situations we, as the audience, can relate to. Each and every episode basically offers us a glimpse into the highs, middles, and lows of a relationship that isn't built on love and passion so much as friendship and trust. In other words, this show lives or dies based on one's own experiences and the ability to recognize, relate to, and empathize with these characters and their situation. Unfortunately, this means my critique of this show is even less likely to translate universally than it might with a show that is built on a story with objective themes or concepts to consider. To make that already problematic issue even worse, I'm forced to tackle this show using entirely secondhand experiences because I have never been in a relationship of any kind. Luckily for me, though, I have a pair of friends who are in a relationship that is fairly similar to that of Wotakoi's main couple. Through my experiences with them, both separately and together, I was able to look at these characters and found their personalities, relationship, and problems to be entirely believable. So, with that said, I feel like I must warn and advise you to regard my highly subjective opinions, critiques, and this review at large with a heaping helping of skepticism.
In the end, I'm pretty sure I'm just going to need to say to check it out for yourself. You totally should though.
From the very beginning, it should be stated that Wotakoi is essentially the story of how relationships work. Split between three different couples, we see various stages and levels of relationships and how they grow and (dis)function as a whole. For the most part, however, Wotakoi is mainly invested in showing the development of one pair in particular: that being the relationship between Momose Narumi, a closeted fujoshi otaku, and Nifuji Hirotaka, a socially and emotionally inept game otaku who could certainly be characterized as someone that falls somewhere on the high-functioning end of the spectrum. Over the course of the show, these two characters undergo a lot of the problems, both internal and external, that are fairly typical of relationships where one or both of the partners are insecure. We see them tackle all those lingering doubts, nagging "what ifs," and the ever-present fear that things just work out as they are slowly and steadily growing closer as a couple. In spite of all their fears and misgivings about the nature of their relationship, however, it is clear that there is something about this pair that just seems to work. Even though they are most certainly settling for one another, their relationship seems to be built on a rock-solid foundation that a lot of relationships lack--a kind of mutual affection and trust that they could have only built over years of friendship. While there is some justifiable concern that their relationship will never move beyond that simple, gratifying friendship, both of them do make a concerted effort to push past that hurdle. This effort on both their parts on top of their simply remarkable amount of consideration and understanding of one another makes it fairly easy to see how their relationship works and gives a fairly good idea of how it might just progress into one built on love as well friendship and trust.
Granted, the main reason to appreciate these two is getting
to see how adorably inept they are as a couple.
Along with Narumi and Nifuji's relationship, Wotakoi also gives a decent amount of limelight to another, wholly different otaku pairing. Functioning partly as the older brother and older sister cheering for the budding romance of the first pair, Koyanagi Hanako and Kabakura Tarou are a couple that is distinctly different from the main one in that it seems like nothing short of a miracle that their relationship works at all. Described as possessing a bit of a bipolar dynamic that jumps back and forth between heated, borderline abusive arguments and warm, affectionate contentedness, their relationship is indicative of those that are built on competition and camaraderie. In spite of how bizarre that might sound to some, these kinds of relationships do have a weird kind of way of working out. As I understand it, and as the show expresses it, the idea is that the constant bickering and fighting in such relationships turns into both a game and a sign of trust that neither will push the other too far but that they will also be too stubborn to just give in, thus keeping things interesting. As Wotakoi notes, however, a relationship like Koyanagi and Kabakura's can cause a number of problems. Most notably, there is the ever-present possibility that that necessary trust might get broken and things get pushed too far and those same issues and insecurities noted in Narumi and Hirotaka's might get dredged up at the worst possible time. Even when that happens in their relationship, though, they find a way to make things work simply because they have had the time to build a relationship initially sparked by love, tested through competition, and fortified by years of trust. It's a strange and discomforting kind of relationship, to be sure, but it's one that finds a way to work and be compelling in spite of itself.
It's like their relationship was built on the concept of "gap moe." Since they always fight like cats and dogs,
the rare moments when you can see actual love an romance are made all the sweeter.
Lastly, there is the unfortunately ill-defined relationship between Hirotaka's outgoing younger brother, Naoya (Nao, for short), and his cripplingly shy schoolmate, Sakuragi Kou. I say their relationship is "unfortunately ill-defined" mainly because this pairing only appears toward the end of the show and doesn't resolve into an actual relationship so much as one that is likely to happen, given enough time. In spite of that little issue, however, their possible relationship does offer another dynamic to consider; namely, one in which there is a distinct difference between partners in terms of both personality and power in the relationship. As a hyper, extroverted, and almost aggressively friendly person, it is very clear that Nao would have near-constant control in a relationship with someone like Kou, who is awkward and shy enough to be one bad experience away from becoming a shut-in. What's interesting about this would-be relationship, however, is that, being the saccharine cinnamon bun that he is, Nao finds a way to forfeit that power and the reigns of the relationship over to Kou. Since Nao is noted as the type who is always interested in trying new things, he's taken an interest in an MMO that Hirotaka and Narumi occasionally play together. So, when Nao learns that Kou plays too, it turns into an opportunity for Nao to get to know Kou better and develop a connection with his brother. Seeing how Nao is terrible at games, though, the power and responsibility to teach Nao falls to his shy but capable romantic interest, thus giving her total power and control to interact with and grow closer to Nao at her own pace. While such a development may not have been his intention, it offers an avenue for Kou to lead and then grow more comfortable and open with Nao as time goes on, which could very well lead to a promising relationship.
Granted, that'll probably take a good, long while to happen.
Half the reason I think these relationships work is because I know or have seen people in relationships like these that seem to work perfectly well at a glance. On top of my pair of friends that are humorously similar to Hirotaka and Narumi, I've seen hot and cold relationships and attracting opposites relationships that have both done well and fallen apart for the very reasons that Wotakoi goes into. And therein lies the other half of why I think Wotakoi's relationships work for me. It isn't afraid to address the highs and lows of a relationship and all the things that can and will end one if they aren't handled properly. Whether it be pushing a button too much or just giving into those insecurity-fueled fears, these kinds of issues do come up in some people's lives. This level of thought and consideration makes it fairly easy for me to believe that the characters and scenarios that this show has to offer are believable. Some characters might not be as fleshed out as I might like and the show might trip up in expressing itself from time to time but, on the whole, I think it does a good job of conveying relationships that are at once believable and compelling.
Not to mention relationships that are pretty funny, most of the time.
Unfortunately, that praise does not transfer over to this show's secondary main draw--the comedy. Falling neither in the realm of skit-based or gag comedy, Wotakoi generally goes for either repetitive and predictable character humor or referential humor. Neither of these are used particularly well, though. On the whole, the character comedy that fills this show is fairly one-note and possesses very little nuance or creativity whenever the characters are in a group. Narumi and Koyanagi are rabid fujoshi who regularly argue about uke v. seme in any pairing, real or imaginary. Hirotaka is socially incapable and is incapable of caring for himself, turning his possible placement on the autism spectrum into a crude and offensive joke. Kabakura is just kind of a hypocritical ass, mocking everyone else's obsessions while keeping quiet about his own. Lastly, Nao is basically characterized as a sweet, innocent cinnamon bun that can do no wrong to the point of being a non-character. Once all these jokes are conveyed once, you've seen every joke this show has to tell and it understandably can get obnoxious once that fact is realized. To make the matter worse, however, all these one-note character jokes and game references only serve to weaken the characters' portrayal as a whole. As much as I hate to say it, this kind of detrimental portrayal risks warranting the same kinds of "nerd blackface" criticism that shows like The Big Bang Theory have gotten over the years. While I don't personally agree with that sentiment when it comes to this show, the sheer possibility that some might judge this show's comedy to that degree is nothing short of alarming.
To be fair, though, people who'd level that complaint are probably the same people
who criticize others that play Smash Bros. with the Wiimote.
In spite of its comedic flaws, of which there are many, I'm confident enough to say that Wotakoi is a good show. It's fun, thoughtful, and believable enough for me to just sit back and enjoy the show without too much for me to criticize moment to moment. While the art and animation aren't stellar, by any means, they do the job well enough and make it easy to identify and remember who is who. The same kind of middling praise can be said of the show's music as well since I don't recall any noteworthy tracks one way or the other beyond the OP and ED, which are great, just for the record. In the end, I'm pretty much forced to make the statement I claimed I would make from the start. Since one's ability to enjoy this show seems to depend heavily on their own subjective experiences and connections, though, I cannot firmly state that this show is objectively good or bad. The best I can say is that is certainly worth giving a chance.