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Note: These images are from Kodansha and Amazon/Comixology previews
This is the third double volume in the series (so volumes 5 and 6 in Japan) released in the US, and I adore Wotakoi. It's so funny and delightful and sweet!
Originally published as Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii first on Pixiv and then professionally by Ichijinsha, Wotakoi follows the joys and follies of Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji, two childhood friends and secret otaku (well, secret in Narumi's case!) In the first volume, they began dating, became friends with their coworkers Taro Kabakura and Hanako Koyanagi, both nerds and dating each other, too, and volume 2 introduced Naoya Nifuji, Hirotaka's younger brother and darling normie, and Ko Sakuragi, a tall androgynous gaming nerd girl Naoya mistakes for a boy. The three kind of major plots in this are a festival, Naoya realizing Ko is a girl, and a work trip to an onsen. Amid all that, occuring during and between, are lots of funny hijinks as they try to live their lives.
Okay, so let me get to the excited screaming about everything.
NARUMI-CHAN, I FEEL YOU, GIRL. Narumi's an absolute fujoshi, and I am surprised how often I agree with her top/bottom preferences in her fantasies (as in a previous volume, she and Hanako discussed who would top between their boyfriends and in this one, they discuss the above normie coworkers, Aiba and Baba. I'm team Baba/Ai all the way. And Hirotaka/Kabakura too.) AH HEM. Anyway.
Every page is full of humor and references to various things - shows, comedians, actors, games, manga, memes - and while I might not notice/get all of them, I'm still happy with what I do get. (I screeched at last volume's Maison Ikkoku reference, because YES, Maison Ikkoku!) The translation does an EXCELLENT job at straddling the change-for-American-audience and retain-original-Japanese well. I was reading another manga a while back, and I was PRETTY sure they weren't talking about Brad Pitt and some other American actor, but the translation for THAT had decided that was better than the Japanese actors they were probably discussing... But Wotakoi keeps in those references and has translation notes at the end of each Japanese volume (so halfway and at the end.) I really appreciate that, because I get to be excited about people and things I DO know and learn some new things, especially the memes. Oh the memes! This one seemed particularly meme-heavy which was interesting.
But really, my two favorite couples in this are actually Hanako/Kabakura and Naoya/Ko. I LOOOOOVE the contentious but loving relationship between Hanako and Kabakura (sorry, I can't call him Taro! I think only Hanako does ANYWAY, so like. I think I can be forgiven,) and as CHARACTERS, I love them so much. They are both just SO COOL (I mean, Kabakura thinks he's a lot cooler than he is, but he's still pretty cool. Maybe not as cool as Hanako especially when she's dressing up as a favorite male character, but no one can beat her coolness.)
Naoya and Ko haven't hooked up YET, but Ko has SUCH a crush, and they are just TOO CUTE TOGETHER. And aaaahhhh, I love Ko so MUCH, she isn't used to having friends, and she's so awkward and a delight and I would die for her. *coughs* Anyway. I am so excited to see them hook up, because THEY'VE GOTTA, RIGHT??
And like, I am me, so of course I ship every permutation of everything (and BOY does it have lots of cute little hints that are shipping fodder,) but we're talking canon here right now, so... But it IS canon that Narumi totally imagined the Nifuji brothers being a little intimate, and did I say Narumi is my GIRL, because like, yes?? YES?? Who WOULDN'T? I mean, okay, so lots of people, but me and Narumi are down. That's all that matters.
This is just so charming and delightful, and no WONDER it's so popular. Like, if you are reading this, it's just because you like Wotakoi so much that you felt like reading some other people be happy about it for a while, right? Because like, WOTAKOI. (Yeah, it's not for everyone just like nothing is for everyone, but it's got mass appeal, because it's so GOOD.)
I haven't seen the anime yet, though I have heard the opening, which is a BOPPER. Also there's going to be a live action movie??? Not out in Japan yet, even, but MAAAN, we do NOT get enough live action Japanese movies I want to see. *files it away in wish box with the likes of Ore Monogatari and orange live action features*
And what to say about the art other than I love it? It's so expressive and fun and delivers great visual comedy with such a variety of faces and references to other properties.
Wotakoi is great, and if you're into anime/manga and aren't reading it, I suggest you try it sooner rather than later.
Wotakoi is available in English from Kodansha.
Cover featuring Naoya and Ko
This is the third double volume in the series (so volumes 5 and 6 in Japan) released in the US, and I adore Wotakoi. It's so funny and delightful and sweet!
Originally published as Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii first on Pixiv and then professionally by Ichijinsha, Wotakoi follows the joys and follies of Narumi Momose and Hirotaka Nifuji, two childhood friends and secret otaku (well, secret in Narumi's case!) In the first volume, they began dating, became friends with their coworkers Taro Kabakura and Hanako Koyanagi, both nerds and dating each other, too, and volume 2 introduced Naoya Nifuji, Hirotaka's younger brother and darling normie, and Ko Sakuragi, a tall androgynous gaming nerd girl Naoya mistakes for a boy. The three kind of major plots in this are a festival, Naoya realizing Ko is a girl, and a work trip to an onsen. Amid all that, occuring during and between, are lots of funny hijinks as they try to live their lives.
Okay, so let me get to the excited screaming about everything.
Of course Hirotaka would never ask WHAT BL novel she was reading, but Hanako totally would. ALAS, we are stuck with Hirotaka and normie coworkers.
NARUMI-CHAN, I FEEL YOU, GIRL. Narumi's an absolute fujoshi, and I am surprised how often I agree with her top/bottom preferences in her fantasies (as in a previous volume, she and Hanako discussed who would top between their boyfriends and in this one, they discuss the above normie coworkers, Aiba and Baba. I'm team Baba/Ai all the way. And Hirotaka/Kabakura too.) AH HEM. Anyway.
Every page is full of humor and references to various things - shows, comedians, actors, games, manga, memes - and while I might not notice/get all of them, I'm still happy with what I do get. (I screeched at last volume's Maison Ikkoku reference, because YES, Maison Ikkoku!) The translation does an EXCELLENT job at straddling the change-for-American-audience and retain-original-Japanese well. I was reading another manga a while back, and I was PRETTY sure they weren't talking about Brad Pitt and some other American actor, but the translation for THAT had decided that was better than the Japanese actors they were probably discussing... But Wotakoi keeps in those references and has translation notes at the end of each Japanese volume (so halfway and at the end.) I really appreciate that, because I get to be excited about people and things I DO know and learn some new things, especially the memes. Oh the memes! This one seemed particularly meme-heavy which was interesting.
But really, my two favorite couples in this are actually Hanako/Kabakura and Naoya/Ko. I LOOOOOVE the contentious but loving relationship between Hanako and Kabakura (sorry, I can't call him Taro! I think only Hanako does ANYWAY, so like. I think I can be forgiven,) and as CHARACTERS, I love them so much. They are both just SO COOL (I mean, Kabakura thinks he's a lot cooler than he is, but he's still pretty cool. Maybe not as cool as Hanako especially when she's dressing up as a favorite male character, but no one can beat her coolness.)
Naoya and Ko haven't hooked up YET, but Ko has SUCH a crush, and they are just TOO CUTE TOGETHER. And aaaahhhh, I love Ko so MUCH, she isn't used to having friends, and she's so awkward and a delight and I would die for her. *coughs* Anyway. I am so excited to see them hook up, because THEY'VE GOTTA, RIGHT??
And like, I am me, so of course I ship every permutation of everything (and BOY does it have lots of cute little hints that are shipping fodder,) but we're talking canon here right now, so... But it IS canon that Narumi totally imagined the Nifuji brothers being a little intimate, and did I say Narumi is my GIRL, because like, yes?? YES?? Who WOULDN'T? I mean, okay, so lots of people, but me and Narumi are down. That's all that matters.
I don't go for extras like Narumi does because $$ and space, but I understand her passion.
This is just so charming and delightful, and no WONDER it's so popular. Like, if you are reading this, it's just because you like Wotakoi so much that you felt like reading some other people be happy about it for a while, right? Because like, WOTAKOI. (Yeah, it's not for everyone just like nothing is for everyone, but it's got mass appeal, because it's so GOOD.)
I haven't seen the anime yet, though I have heard the opening, which is a BOPPER. Also there's going to be a live action movie??? Not out in Japan yet, even, but MAAAN, we do NOT get enough live action Japanese movies I want to see. *files it away in wish box with the likes of Ore Monogatari and orange live action features*
And what to say about the art other than I love it? It's so expressive and fun and delivers great visual comedy with such a variety of faces and references to other properties.
Wotakoi is great, and if you're into anime/manga and aren't reading it, I suggest you try it sooner rather than later.
Wotakoi is available in English from Kodansha.
