An anime series that should definitely be on your must watch list!

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii) is a manga-based slice of life romance anime series about four office workers who are also leading (some discreetly) an otaku life. If you're not familiar with the term, an otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with intense interests in the fields of manga, anime, video or computer games. Hence, if you like watching anime (or if you work in an office), then this series would definitely be a delight to watch!

ONE OF THE MOST RELATABLE SLICE OF LIFE ANIME OUT THERE

One of the things that I enjoyed about this anime is the little details of the characters' daily lives and personalities that most of us could relate to. On one hand, we have the energetic Narumi who always rush on her way to work every morning and and then work overtime due to spending too much time browsing social media. Then there's the calm and collected Hirotaka who never misses to take his cigarette or game breaks and yet still finishes his work on time and leaves the office early.

We also have our second and more mature couple, Kabakura and Hanako who keeps their relationship low-key but have been in a long term relationship since Kabakura's highschool graduation. There is never a day that they don't argue due to their differences and competitive nature but at the end of the day they still make up and stick with each other.

Throughout each episode we see random glimpses of their daily normal lives at work and outside work. Lunch breaks, coffee shop breaks, afterwork drinks and dinner, game nights and sleepovers. I worked in a corporate setting for the majority of my adult life and I'd say these scenarios are spot on lol. I chuckled in those scenes where they had afterwork plans but they'd have to wait for Narumi to finish her job. We all have that one officemate who always work overtime don't we? (or sometimes that could be us lol).

A DELIGHT FOR REAL-LIFE OTAKUS:

There is never a dull episode in this series. Every now and then the show would switch things up a bit or drops references that are sure to keep otaku viewers entertained. I particularly enjoyed the episodes where they're animated as video game characters.

They also made sure to make every type of otaku feel included. :)

A WHOLESOME MATURE ROMANCE ANIME

I think Wotakoi is the first anime that gave me that "aww" feeling without being mushy and cheesy. The romance is straightforward, no guessing games - just what an adult relationship should be like. Since Narumi and Hirotaka grew up together, they pretty much know each other very well. For me what's most heartwarming is them being comfortable with each other and supporting each other's interests. Narumi has been on several relationships before but this is the first time that she didn't feel the need to hide that she's an otaku because well, her boyfriend is one too (lol).

CONCLUSION:

Wotakoi definitely made it to my favorites list and it's an anime that I know I can rewatch over and over. Well, I have already rewatched it several times. It's not the kind that hits deep but it's not shallow either. It's something that you'd want if you're in the mood for a light and entertaining genre. It may not be as grand as other top rated animes but for me its impact comes from its relatability.