I've already been recommending this to everyone I know! It has such a light and warm tone, I can't help but feel good when I read it. This is definitely one to pick up.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I am a big fan of books that are about characters I can really relate to, such as Genshiken or Lucky Star which feature manga/video game nerds. Wotakoi seemed like a perfect addition to this list because not only does it have characters that are interested in various aspects of otaku culture, but they're older than the usual cast (in their 20's as opposed to teens).

Wotakoi started off pretty well with the introductions and the revelation of what kind of things the main characters Narumi and Hirotaka liked. Their best friends/co-workers are also introduced (Hanako and Taro) and it looks like they're not as alone at the office as it seemed in regards to their interests.

There's a lot more energy in the first volume, but as things progressed, it felt like the focus was not as much on the otaku aspect so much as the office and personal relationships of the cast. I was expecting a lot more emphasis on the characters playing video games or reading manga, but aside from one trip to Comiket and topical references I didn't feel like there was the joy of any of these things.

I've read slice of life manga and otherwise traditional manga; Wotakoi felt like a strange blend between the two and it affected the streamlined feel I'd expect from a manga book. A longer story it was not; it felt disjointed. A slice of life manga it almost was, but it didn't have the same individual strip/larger story synchronicity.

As for reading farther in the series, I might pick this up from the library or if offered for review, but I didn't enjoy it enough or find any characters that hooked me enough to want to purchase any volumes of the series.

Wotakoi is a fun, light-hearted manga about nerd romance and relationships. It's interesting to see a depiction of how otaku basically have to hide their interests like it's a controversial alternative lifestyle, compared to how nerds are very much out in the United States. The translation notes might seem tedious for people not used to Japanese references, but they are easy to skip and overall you won't miss out on the bigger picture if you don't read them.

A unique story line where a hard core gamer and a manga obsessed otaku tentatively enter a relationship. That pretty much describes the story behind, “Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku”
by Fujita. It’s such a hilarious scenario to see these two awkward personalities try to have a normal relationship, and of course chaos is soon to ensue. I loved the artwork and I found me a new author to read. The entire story kept me entertained until the end and I immediately set out in search of the other volumes to purchase and read.

Title: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Published: 17th April 2018, by Kodansha Comics.
Pages: 256
Volume: 1 and 2
Format: eBook/ARC from NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Sequential Art, Manga, Graphic Novels.
Contains: Sexual Content, Crude Humour, BL, Crossdressing, Cosplay, Fujoshi, Gamer.
My Rate: 4.5/5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Kodansha Comics through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Might contain slight spoilers so read at your own risk.

GAMES OVER ROMANCE

Narumi Momose has had it rough: Every boyfriend she’s had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she’s gone to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with a childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But he comes up with a counter-proposal: Why doesn’t she just date him instead?

In love, there are no save points.

‘Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku’ is a romantic comedy manga. The story is so cute, I absolutely adored it. I read both volumes in one sitting and I NEEDED MORE. I went and searched online, and to my utter surprise, episode 1 the anime had just come out. So I watched that too. And now I’m just sitting here dying inside over how freaking adorable that story was and how much I really wanna know what happens next. Can’t wait for ep2 of the anime next week. This has rekindled my love for anime and mangas, and for that, thank you!

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Narumi and Hirotaka might seem like polar opposites at first, but they have more in common than they might think. Narumi’s kind, cute, and incredibly friendly. She’s clumsy and kind of slow around the workplace but that’s why I loved her so much. She’s not your typical “perfect shoujo”, she has her flaws, and that’s what makes her so relatable. Hirotaka, on the other hand, is more reserved and poker-faced. It’s hard to know what he’s thinking unless he speaks out loud. He seems to have everything figured out but in fact, he’s just as awkward and shy as Narumi and has no idea how to date someone. They really do balance each other out and it’s so endearing to see them interact.

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But what I really loved seeing is the interactions between Hanako and Taro. The two of them are always arguing over something or other, but you can tell that despite that, both of them care very deeply about each other and their love is true. Hanako is my favorite character so far.She’s strong, independent and has no problem stating her opinions. I can’t wait to read more about these two pairs and learn their history in the future volumes. There is definitely a lot more space for both pairs to develop and for us to learn more of their pasts.

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Being an otaku and fangirl myself, I could somewhat relate to the characters and especially Narumi and Hanako’s love for BL was so funny and relatable. I absolutely loved it when they realized that they are in fact fans of each other online. It’s like meeting your internet friends online and instantly having a deep connection with them that you can’t explain. As someone who spends more of her time online and has more online friends than real life ones, that entire tangent was 100% relatable. Narumi’s indecision on whether to let others know about her being an otaku or not is so me, because, I too am always indecisive when it comes to telling people about the things I am interested in. Letting others know of the things you love isn’t just that, it’s giving them the key to your soul. If they know what you love, they can know who you are as a person, and to me, that’s really important and scary.

I don’t know why but I laughed at this one page for a solid 2 minutes before I moved on to the next. The bonus chapters and segments between the different parts of the story were so hilarious and cute.

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Overall, this manga was a great mix of serious topics with really funny ones. It shows the struggles that otakus and fangirl/boys go through in their daily lives as they interact and mingle with other people. It was really light read mixed with some deep topics which I really liked. The characters were really fleshed out and interesting to read about. Can’t wait to see where the story goes from here. I will definitely be continuing the anime, and maybe the manga too in the near future.

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My favorite scene was this-

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I am currently watching the anime for this series so I was delighted that the manga was also found on here. Sadly, I am going to have to give up on this one. Whereas the anime feels really natural, we see our MC start her first day at a new job, we see all the characters, and then we see them slowly get to know each other, and with that comes hilarity, and the episode ends with our MC and glasses guy started dating.
 Whereas the manga is just Oh, hey, new job, gets outed as otaku, let's date, and everyone knows everyone's secrets (at least that is how it feels to me), and that is only as far as I read. It just didn't flow right and I was confused out of my mind with how everything connected. Such a shame. 

The art was fabulous though, and I love the style. Also I like those little pages with questions and the cast answering them (or practically going into battle).

This was an enjoyable book.  Anyone who's had a hobby they're embarrassed about will easily connect with these caracters.

‘Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku’ is a romantic comedy manga that tells the story of two childhood friends that return to each others lives at the same workplace. Otaku, Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji, find comfort in their interests in fictional worlds, meaning they’re fairly unsuccessful at dating. However, after meeting each other, they discover that by sharing their love of geeky things, romance comes easy.

I haven’t read a manga in a while, and after reading the description on Netgalley, I couldn’t not read it. It didn’t disappoint.

Narumi Momose makes for an adorable protagonist. She’s kind, caring, and incredibly sweet; the fact that everyone loves her is believable – you can’t help but not route for her the entire volume. Her interaction with Hirotaka is perfect; they’re polar opposites, her open with her emotions and excitement, while he is more poker-faced and reserved; they balance each other out. It makes their relationship completely plausible and adorable.
Hanako Koyanagi is possibly my favourite character, however. I adore her feisty personality throughout the volume. She’s strong, independent and has no problem putting her boyfriend, Taro Kabakura, into place. She’s incredible. The constant arguments between the pair were hilarious, there was numerous times where I let out a little giggle at their interaction and the history between them is extremely interesting. I can’t help but question why it is that they argue so much – I wonder if this is explored more in future volumes?!

The history of the characters was an incredibly interesting read, going into more detail in the volume as to how they knew each other and their lives as children; I especially loved the heart-rendering story-line of Hirotaka’s fear of thunder. Their faults made the characters appear so authentic.

The bonus chapters, however, were my favourite part of this volume. These little inclusions were hilarious and explored the characters in ways that might not be necessary in the main plot-line, such as; Hanako’s cosplay and the selfies they share with another. It was so adorable. (Can you tell I find this book the cutest?)

Overall, I loved this book, and it made for the perfect afternoon read.

I requested this book through NetGalley because I wanted to read something light-hearted and fluffy in between the dull novel I'm currently trying to plow through. 

Welp, the plan may need to be revised because I ended up reading this all in one night. #noregrets 

Narumi is an otaku - she's obsessed with aspects of popular culture (specifically anime and manga) to the point that it may impair her functioning. Every relationship she's been in has failed because her partners can't seem to grasp the extent of her interest in particular fandoms. Speaking as someone whose own nerdiness has led to cockblocking herself on more than one occasion, I totally understand where Narumi is coming from. 

Luckily, Nifuji - a video game otaku - exists and is conveniently located at her new place of employment. He gets it, and even better? He used to be her best friend in elementary school. Not that Narumi remembers because, hello, we need that drama factor. 

Anywayyyyyyys, things I enjoyed: 

1. When Nifuji asks Narumi the obvious - why not just date a fellow otaku? Narumi states something along the lines that 'other' fandom obsessed people tend not to be her aesthetic. She's clearly hinting at the stereotypical image of otaku males and Nifuji shuts that down immediately and tells her she's placing herself on a pedestal (i.e. I'm not like 'other' otaku's - I'm cute). I loved this specifically because, and I hate to admit it, I used to have this mentality in middle school and it's not okay. We shouldn't be trying to better ourselves in the community and I feel it's something that consistently happens in any fandom. 

2. Nifuji is the chillest homeboy in the universe. He is confident and unashamed about his interests and is willing to go along with anything that brings him or people close to him joy, heteronormative culture be damned. Need help with a BL manga? I gotchu. Want me to cosplay as a woman? Sure, why not. At first, I thought I was going to have issues with his character primarily due to the fact that he's loved Narumi since they were children and talks her into a relationship with him because it'd be mutually beneficial. Although it initially rang 'friendzone-bullshit-manipulation' alarms,  THAT IS NOT THE CASE. Nifuji makes it very clear that he's willing to be whatever Narumi wants and needs him to be at the moment. He doesn't test boundaries and the relationship starts off with them doing the same thing they did as friends with the added perk of calling each other boyfriend/girlfriend. I found it cute and realistic. A+++ work Nifuji. 

3. The references - this manga is filled with tiny references to other mangas and animes (i.e. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and there's even a rose border frame like in Ouran High School Host Club lol). If you're a dork like me, you'll love these easter egg-like features. 

Things I disliked: 

1. Every scene where Hanako & Kabakura are together. I found them to be incredibly interruptive to the pace of the story and their constant fighting to be annoying af. Individually, they were fine. Moments that showcased Kabakura paternal instincts toward Narumi were great, but literally, all their side relationship scenes left me grrr-ing and skimming the page until Narumi or Nifuji came back on. Unfortunately, this pairing took up a large chunk of the manga and is the sole reason I did not rate it at least 4 stars out of 5. If you love couples that are constantly faking at hating each other - you may enjoy this manga more than me. 

2. Lack of Plot - I just didn't see much progression in the story until the very end. The majority of the novel felt stagnate in terms of character development and relationship milestones. I'm happy the couple is taking their time getting comfortable in a relationship, especially one Narumi can get to be her herself in, but as a reader, scenes like that can get a bit repetitive. 

3. All the flat-chested and other boob comments. UGH. Can we stop with this already? Thanks. 

That's it! I'll definitely be watching the anime for this manga but I'm unsure of whether or not I'll continue reading on as a priority.

*I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

So, this review will be for the 1st and 2nd volume since that is what I received from Netgalley and may I say that was surprising. I thought I only had one volume, but having two just made me so happy. 

I absolutely loved this manga. It is so cute. This story is about Otaku in love, so it is dorky and fun with some awkward moments included. 
It is more of a slice of life manga, so there isn't exactly a plot. This is just about their fun, nerdy lives and how they figure out how to be in a relationship together-- from childhood friends to being a couple. 
They are adorable and so is the other couple in the office, who also are otaku. 

The art style is also super cute. 

I will say there is mention of BL, crossdressing, and some things which people might not like, especially since it is talked about by straight people. Those were the only weird moments. 

I'm not sure what else to say besides I do plan on reading more of this as it comes out. I love this couple and I want to see them grow together and be awesome.

This a boy-meets-girl type of story, only that the boy and the girl are closeted geeks, and are childhood friends that have reconnected. The main story takes place within a few pages - Narumi and Hirotaka meeting and him exposing her as a fellow otaku to her friend, followed by him then later on suggesting they both date since finding significant others who understand their obsessions - while the rest of the manga volume is mostly slices of little stories about them living up their otaku power couple life, and double dating with their friends (who incidentally have also suddenly begun dating sometime).

Hirotaka is a gamer, Narumi is a manga/anime nerd, Narumi's friend Koyonagi is a cosplayer, and Hirotaka's friend (and Koyonagi's boyfriend) Kabakura is a garden variety anime/manga fan. Their friends are the bickering type, and these two are the best friends turned lovers type, and between the four of them we see a lot of love and understanding, and no judgement for their own personal geek stuff. At times it is hinted that Narumi would be better suited to Kabakura, but it is let go without much drama. But if you're expecting a coherent storyline, this does not provide that - it is most sitcom-ish scenes and little moments that can be hilarious or heartwarming.

Overall, it is entertaining and cute, but because we do not see any story or character development, it doesn't feel like a story being played out, which is why it can get tiresome and aimless.

I was initially interested in this manga, since I am watching the anime, which is currently ongoing. 
The anime is a delight to watch, the manga turned out to be even better. 

The mange is hilarious. It efficiently delivers comedy to it's audience. 
It uses 'otaku' jargon a lot, but it includes a glossary, so even if you aren't 'getting it' you can come around understanding the undertones of the topic. 

The art is good and the typography makes the verbal cues evident. I love the anime, and would like to continue the manga.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

**I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I really enjoyed this first volume. The story was easy to follow and I found the characters to be likeable. I was hoping that this would help me get back into manga and it was the perfect title to help me. It isn't a very fast paced manga, and is very character driven, but I find this with lots of manga and found the romance and relationships between the characters to be sweet. I appreciated the addition of the footnotes when they were talking about Japanese pop culture, and I'm just generally a fan of pop culture references, especially in anime and manga. I'm interested to see where the manga goes from here.

It took me by surprise when he asked her to in a relationship and she said yes. No emotion or anything, it was very blunt. But I mean that happens, it was realistic. Actually it happen to me, we didn't last more than a month.

I love the graphics and it looks beautiful., It made me laugh in some part and I found it cute but I wasn't even close to the middle of the Graphic Novels and decided to stop reading. 

I felt like it didn't make since, the conversation was here and there, I didn't understood what was happening sometimes. it made everything difficult to keep up.
While reading it, all I was thinking "when will this end? & How long will it take me to finish this?".
I don't want to be mean or anything I just feel like it didn't made me keep reading it or at least finish it.

I give this 2 stars because the graphic was on point, Hirotaka is so cute, handsome and meritorious, I could be falling in love with his looks. And Narumi is a cutie too. Basically this is why the 2-Stars.

OR MAYBE IS JUST ME. FEW PEOPLE LIKES IT!
Give it a try.

Finding your other half is hard enough as it is. Finding it when you're an otaku is even harder! This is a funny, cute romantic manga about two people obsessed with video games and manga stories, who stat out as friends, only to become a couple in the process. 

With plenty of humorous lines and some moving scenes, the storyline is absolutely amusing and very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this manga, and I am looking forward to its next episodes! Definitely recommended for the fans of the genre.

Cute story, cute characters, cute art. Plus, it's really funny!

For a story that's so character-driven, I really didn't care for the characters. I found myself warming to them as I read, but for the most part I found Wotakoi to be pretty generic and not all that engaging or funny. It's decently enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but I doubt I'll remember it or have a desire to read any of the other volumes.

So far, I’ve mostly read sports manga (Haikyuu!!, Kuroko’s Basketball), which of course has been primarily focused on high school students. It’s nice to read manga that’s about adults with regular lives. The manga focuses more on their hobbies than their jobs, but they are often pictured at the office, or going out for drinks. I like the balance (or sometimes lack thereof) between their hobbies and their day-to-day lives, and a lot of the struggle is relatable. I’m sure at some point in our lives, we’ve all been Narumi, wondering how much – if any – of our hobbies we should reveal to people. I’ve never really been ashamed of my interests – especially now, because I’m an adult, dammit – but I have had friends who kept that part of their lives secret even from family members.

In between each episode are a few short bonus comics, most of them not more than a page or two. These bonus scenes really help flesh out their personalities, even though the main episodes do a pretty good job of developing the characters. Aside from Hirotaka and Narumi, the other office otaku couple are cosplayer Hanako and casual gamer and manga reader Taro, who have been dating since high school. They are all quirky and endearing, each with their own particular charm, but I’m kind of madly in love with Hirotaka.

I’m not sure how common this format is in manga, but one great thing about Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku is that it isn’t one overarching plot. Mostly it just seems to be little vignettes about Hirotaka and Narumi’s relationship – like him manning her booth at a convention so she can go visit her favorite artist, or him inviting her to his place but neglecting to mention that he also invited their friends to play video games. There’s also some really great contrast between the two relationships. Hanako and Taro are volatile, always fighting, but peppered with moments of genuine affection and sweetness. Hirotaka and Narumi’s relationship is not traditionally romantic. So far (the first English volumes contains the first two Japanese volumes), they have only kissed once. And Narumi punched him. But they do seem devoted to each other, even if it isn’t always visible.

I zipped right through this manga and can’t wait for the next volume. I’m absolutely in love with these characters. It’s usually hard for me to get used to a new art style when I switch between manga (and honestly the way their noses are drawn still kind of bothers me for reasons I haven’t quite figured out), but I actually like the art. Not to mention, the first episode of each volume is in full color, and there are translation notes at the end for anybody like me who’s not yet that familiar with Japanese culture.

Oh, this was a cute and kind of dorky adventure. Though I was expecting something else from the description!

The main characters remind me a bit of my husband and myself. Total nerds. Can't deal with regular people, because we're just that lame. ;) They're cute together, if a bit awkward. But isn't that just geek life right in a nutshell?

I love that they have friends who are like them, and love to do the same things as them. Would be a nice world if we could all just geek out together, no?

Going to show this to my nerdy husband sooner or later, I figure he'll get a kick out of it.

Only wish there was more backstory included. I feel like their childhoods could be better fleshed out. And where are all the judgmental co-workers?