Review of Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
I've been watching a lot of Shonen these days and wanted a change. Therefore, I looked for some wholesome romance and comedy. Wotakoi is exactly this. Without a coherent plot(as the opening says), you can pretty much jump into any episode and enjoy it. I in fact did this when I accidentally watched EP10 after EP1. Wotakoi is a bunch of fun stories to get absorbed into. I usually don't like episodic shows, but Wotakoi nailed it from start to finish. The characters and their dynamics are super fun. I loved the contrast between Hana and Kabakura's relationship and Hirotaka and Momose's. They all have distinct personalitiesand enjoy different otaku things. which creates many fun moments. Hirotaka is undoubtedly my favorite character, maybe because he is really the only one that got any characterization beyond his hobbies and appearance. I'm disappointed we couldn't see just a bit more from him tho, feels like wasted potential.
It handled its romance in a great way, and it was super refreshing to see adult romance instead of high school teens. No one getting all red all the time and misunderstandings get resolved on the spot, instead of the characters not talking to each other for a week. I'll admit that Hana and Kabakura's relationship had me questioning whether it's healthy at times, but eventually, they got a "redemption arc."Wotakoi will make you feel warm and lovesick. Whenever the main characters had a tender moment, you would catch me smiling ear to ear and daydreaming.
One thing that can be weird about Wotakoi is the two leading female characters imagining Yaoi with their boyfriends. Tho I guess this isn't out of the ordinary for fans of this genre.
The art and music were great, that opening is iconic! I especially enjoyed the backgrounds, so kudos to whoever worked on them. The fun little things they did to make the anime seem like an interactive game made me laugh so much while watching. And the, as I like calling them, "ID cards" they showed during the ad breaks were yet another creative decision. The animation was mind-blowing for a romcom, and the opening alone can show you that. Gotta thank the hardworking people at A1 Pictures for that.
Wotakoi is fun, romantic, and wholesome. It made me laugh with splendid comedy, that felt natural. Who would have thought a show about office romance between otakus can be so endearing? I heartily recommend it.