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.

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.

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?

Originally, I requested to read this manga in hopes I could add it to my middle school library. Complete misjudgment on my part. This manga is about a small group of 20 something's who work together and is for an older audience.

This is a cute story about two otakus who start dating. An otaku is a super fan of gaming or manga or anime or pop culture to a degree that the fandom overwhelms their life.

It is a very character driven manga. The overarching story is slow moving but flows well. The chapters feel like little one-shots with lots of Japanese pop culture references (explained in notations to the English reader). Light hearted jokes are peppered throughout. The topics can be more mature but they make sense with the audience. I really liked the four characters as individuals and am interested in where this manga is heading!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy.

I have a like and dislike relationship with this manga. On one hand I love the characters and how funny they can be, but I don't dislike how the story feels off pace. It feels like everything moves too fast and the back story is bit choppy. Once I got past that first awkward stage I started to like the story. Despite the emphasis on being an otaku and how being that leads to all these other dramatic problems, I think it's a great and simple read. I would recommend it to readers looking for a different type of manga plot.

I think I'm losing my touch here. Every lover of the Japanese culture were at one point, in their young age, an Otaku. But how is it when these otakus are two full grown adults? The relationship between Narumi & Hirotaka is pretty hard to understand. They are both games and manga lovers, one of them tries to hide their otaku side (keeps getting dumped for being an otaku), the other one has no problem in showing it in public (stays on game console most of the time,everywhere!). No emotions or chemistry between these two, only their passion connects them.
The plot was...what was it about again? It was incoherent and to be fair I didn't understood much from it. Would I recommend it to someone? Yes, maybe to an avid manga lover/gamer.

I had heard about this manga at the start of the year so when I saw this as a read now book on Netgalley, I knew I had to snap it up. What I didn’t realised Kodansha had done was make these into bind up volumes, so the English translated volumes contain 2 of the original Japanese volumes each. This was an absolute delight while reading, to know I still had a load more I could read! Seriously, bind up volumes are my favourite.

Moving onto the actual manga itself. You get the first couple of pages in colour which look a lot cleaner and sharper than the rest of the manga style but I actually really like the concept and how it all fits together. I love the character’s passions for what they love, be it games, manga, yaoi, BL(Boy Love) etc. It reminded me a lot of my teenage years with friends who were into what I was into and also a bit of me now. I still feel the need to hide the more weeb part of myself. I hope with these characters being more my age I will be able to laugh a long side them and also appreciate that I have a husband who has become a fan of manga/anime in the last few years. (I mean, he is also a gamer so there is that haha)

I love how different the characters are, especially Naru and Hirotaka. You can see all sorts of sides to the characters and it isn’t overly romantic, it just sorts of deals with life and how people work. I really enjoyed the fact they were older characters and they were referencing things I knew such as Sailor Moon and Neon Genesis Evangelion from my teenage years. There were a few gaming references I didn’t get but as with most manga that is a translation section at the end of each volume which explains references to things as well as japanese terms used such as -san/-chan etc. It was really helpful in this series for sure.

My only negatives for this was that it does start in a bit of rush! You are suddenly just thrown in but it kind of suits how this is a busy adult world. Maybe I’m just used to reading too much laid back High School set contemporaries. I would certainly recommend this series to other manga/anime/gaming nerds out there but maybe not to people who are looking to start out in reading manga for the first time.

Overall I really enjoyed this bind up. My husband even commented on how much I was laughing while I was reading it. If you are looking for a bit more of a grown up manga with a good laugh thrown in, then this is certainly one to check out.

I ended up enjoying Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku way more than I thought I would. I thought that I'd only end up enjoying it. So not only did I enjoy the story, I ended up loving the story as well.

Lovely art and story although feels a bit disjointed. The characters are all very interesting and although all come under the otaku trait, they are distinctive amongst each other. I enjoyed reading this manga very much

A really interesting manga! I definitely had fun reading it but I wish it had more romance... hopefully, in the future volumes, we will be able to see that.
I do think that this, for someone who doesn't understand the otaku world, this may be a difficult story to get into but I appreciate the explanations at the end. It made it easier to understand!

Wotakoi blew my mind! I must say that I hardly ever read josei and shoujo even, since the characters tend to be bleak or cliched. In Wotakoi's case then? Totally the opposite. Love is Hard for Otaku actually portrays its characters in a realistic manner with humor that's actually aimed at adults and even more than that, it's quite universal too. This in itself is a miracle since the topic is very Japanese. Narumi and Hirotaka are childhood friends and real geeks that end up in the same work place. Against all odds they start to date, since it's easier than to pretend to be normal - now they get to be the geeks they are, but together. Their friends, who are a couple too, are the same and their interactions are awesome. The manga is mostly slice of life and balanced around shorter story arcs that are quite mundane and brilliant at the same time. Wotakoi plays well the cultural aspects and the notes at the back are a great add-on.

The art looks great and the rhythm is awesome, but quite different to "basic" manga. It could be slightly off-putting for some, but I truly enjoyed it. The panels are quite stuffed at times, but the facial expressions are perfect! Wotakoi is very lively and different to boot. It's refreshing josei with actually clever characters and situations, which makes this so entertaining. No wonder this was a hit. I just hope this goes somewhere and evolves, since that's another thing that usually doesn't happen in manga and especially in slice of life, everything just keeps going but nowhere. I'm glad I tested this! I totally approve!

I could not get into this manga as it was absolutely ridiculous. Oh, my boyfriends break up with me once they find out I'm an otaku! That's bs unless she went to the extreme with it. And even then most guys wouldn't break up with someone because of what they watch unless they were really shallow.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this as the humour and general writing style did not appeal to me and I found it somewhat confusing and hard to follow. I love the concept and art and the translation is fantastic, and I'm sure this series will be a favourite of many despite it not working for me.

Wotakoi was cute but honestly I didn't get much from it and soon began to skip through to the last chapter. As far as Otaku go, they weren't quirky, distinct, or even very interesting. The relationship was probably the only odd thing in the entire book since we don't get much of it and it is very underplayed. I think in the end, I was expecting better observations on Otaku life, more humor, and a bit more emotion.

Story: Narumi likes gaming and especially manga. Hirotaka loves gaming. Both are considered Otaku - people who get obsessive about something like manga or gaming and are looked down upon for it by Japanese society. Hirotaka doesn't care if people know but Narumi would prefer to hide it since she keeps getting dumped when her boyfriends find out. When Narumi meets Hirotaka, it brings back memories - they used to live near each other and were close in their love of their fandoms. Now, at 26, Hirotaka suggests they get together since neither has a problem with their otaku-ness. Besides, their best friends are dating as well.

I think for me, I would have wanted to see their actual fandoms represented more. Hirotaka spends a lot of time on a portable console, yes, but we don't really get much idea of how much he loves gaming. E.g., at his house it's clean and tidy and not really 'gamer' much other than a few statues. Same with Narumi - you'd think she'd have posters everywhere or walls of manga; perhaps even t-shirts for the weekend. But .... nothing. They are all pretty much boring and not very interesting people who talk about their obsessions occasionally but we never get to actually see it. It felt fake, for that reason. Publisher Kodansha does give us explanations of all the Otaku terms used, though, every four chapters, which was nice (how many people know what a "kabe don" is, for example?).

I also can't say much about the characters. Hirotaka is pretty bland and spends most of the book emotionless. Narumi is an idiot, screws up at work all the time, and looks to be an emotional wreck at best. I'm not quite sure why anyone would be interested in her except for Hirotaka's situation in that she wouldn't put him down for his love of gaming. But there wasn't a lot of chemistry there.

Side characters are two best friends who are dating but also fighting all the time. Narumi's best friend is boyish and aggressive (sort of tsundere) while her boyfriend, Hirotaka's best friend, is somewhat hot headed. It leads to constant arguments between the two, of course. Since they are also into the same interests, it makes the four a fairly tight group that does everything together.

It felt like the author is taking a tour of manga (especially BL/yaoi) and gaming memes and trying to incorporate them into a story. There's not a lot here about WHY people fall in love with and become obsessive about these pursuits. And if you've met a true Otaku, you see the passion and how it takes over their lives and how much it means to them. I just didn't get any of that here. This should have been a love letter to Otakus but instead felt more like a slap in the face with a wet noodle.

The stories are somewhat incoherent, jumbled, and without a clear arc. It's very "josei" rather than "shoujo/shounen" in that regard. I was hoping for more than random snippet scenes and story arcs expanded from one simple idea that never really take off. It got old very fast and after about ten minutes reading, I just wanted to get to the end of the volume already and never have to follow these insipid characters again. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.