Well. Ask and ye shall receive.

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Romance

Interesting developments all around, this time. Episode 6 basically addressed my one concern with Episode 4. Meanwhile, Episode 5 introduced what wound up being a rather interesting side character – Hirotaka’s little brother. I especially like how the episode handled it. Because it would’ve been easy to go the typical “jealousy” route. But the thing about that is that it would’ve felt out of place, here. And they even lampshaded it by having Kabakura call attention to it. Before we know who Hirotaka’s brother is, he appears to just be someone that’s friendly with Narumi. Hana makes the exact conclusion jump that I think most people watching a romance series probably would. But then that expectation is handily subverted.

Really, going for a “jealousy” plot would’ve felt off because, let’s be honest, these characters aren’t especially lovey-dovey as it is. Hirotaka and Narumi are pretty chill and, for the most part, skip out on the melodrama. By contrast, Kabakura and Hana are much more “normal,” if only by the merit of Kabakura being a “casual.” As such, the dynamic between the two of them (not to mention their already vitriolic personalities) makes conflicts between them seem more dramatic just by nature. Hence Episode 4.

But then came Episode 6, which did two things really well for me. For one thing, it did a good job of exhibiting Hirotaka and Narumi’s kinda-sorta relationship. Mostly by having Hirotaka perform kind gestures for her and the like. It’s further accented by a small plot that goes quite a ways to show how much he genuinely cares (despite his aloof nature) not just about her in general, but about being her boyfriend. And then it returns to that sort of “dating your best friend” vibe that the show’s had from the beginning. Where the concept of them dating almost seems more like just an extension of their existing friendship and is barely relevant, not changing that dynamic they had before at all.

The next thing Episode 6 did that I was pleased with was showing Kabakura and Hana’s relationship in a light that wasn’t quite as… hostile. And this was despite them not really factoring a ton into the episode. They pretty much filled out the Beta Couple role and yet the episode’s B-story was satisfying. It showed the desire of both parties to spend time with the other, for one. And then the lengths to which they go in order to make sure the other is happy. In other words, it shows them actually being nice to one another and enjoying being in one another’s company. It was refreshing.

So that’s that. Episode 5 and 6 were both a delightful bit of Easy Viewing. Oddly relatable and relaxing, but just zany enough to not get boring. The show’s constant references continue to be amusing and the unique fashion of the internal monologues continue to be a bright spot in the show’s humor and narrative setup. If you’re looking for something less subtle, there’s always Black Clover.

“…Really?” It’s slim pickings, okay?

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. That’s all I’ve got for ya here. As always, thanks for reading, folks. Keep up the awesome.

Take care,
C. Voyage