"Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii" is not your typical romance anime

"Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii (Wotakoi) is not your typical romance anime. I'd like to elaborate on how that works to its benefit and its detriment, and my overall thoughts on the show. This review is contains a minor spoiler from the first episode.

Most romance anime feature highschool characters and take place in school. Neither is present in here. The protagonists, Hirotaka and Narumi, are both coworkers and closet otakus (nerds). The show follows their romantic relationship and the relationship between another pair of coworkers- Koyonagi and Kabakura (which I actually liked better). The four of them are all connected by their work and their love for Japanese culture (of which numerous references to are made in the show).

I'm sure this is a welcome change for older, working, anime fans that are tired of the numerous highschool romance anime that they may find difficult to relate to. Finally, characters that aren't naive and melodramatic! Unfortunately, I don't feel like a lot of the adult life aspect of the show was explored. It feels like surface level stuff- things like having conversations with coworkers in the break room and going out to drink after work. There wasn't really anything beyond that- such as the struggle to pay your bills or to perform well at work. An exploration into such deeper aspects would make for an even more relatable show and a better story- as we would see how our characters deal and overcome these struggles. However, I can understand that Wotakoi is meant to be a lighthearted show- I don't think the adults watching want to be reminded that adult life is tough.

In terms of story structure, Wotakoi begins where every other romance anime would end. In the first episode, the main characters begin to date. There is no great buildup of romantic feelings that lead to a climactic confession- the confession is literally "no one wants to date otakus, you wanna date each other?" This does work towards its detriment though- there is basically no plot. It's not entirely because of where it starts though- part of it is due to being a slice of life anime (which isn't known for story progression). The final episode wasn't a culmination of everything that had happened- it just felt like any other episode in the show. However, the romance between the two characters did develop- in scattered moments that make you feel warm inside- from being friends who are just stuck with each other to date to genuinely caring for each other.

In conclusion, if you're looking for serious romance story between working adults instead of highschoolers- the show isn't for you. However it is still lighthearted, funny, and heartfelt- and there's no good substitute for these kinds of shows.

7/10

-GaryMuffuginOak

Recommendations
If you liked Wotakoi, I'd recommend "Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken" (or vice versa). Both have adult characters and are lighthearted but cute!