Well, I guess we know who the grand sponsor of this show is.

Weekends are already looking extremely crowded this season, and given that my weekdays are running me ragged that leaves the competition pretty intense for coverage.  For all that, though, Wotakoi is certainly looking like a solid candidate so far.  Of course this is a niche series in the strictest sense of the word – it’s clear who it’s catering to.  But that’s perfectly fine – in that sense, it’s very honest.  And so far it seems neither to be pulling its punches or hitting below the belt.  It plays like an honest insider take on otaku life in the 21st Century, and I think that’s exactly what it is.

What I think is most refreshing about Wotakoi’s take is that these otaku are not caricatures where it really matters.  The comedy does spring largely from their obsessive fandom, yes, and in part from their awkwardness about some things.  But they’re perfectly normal people.  They have jobs, they have relationships but stress over them, they’re nice-looking and reasonably fit and like to get drinks after work.  It just so happens that what they’re into is yaoi (or loli) or cosplay or gaming as opposed to hiking or photography or their kids.

As we rejoin the scene, Narumi has basically gone on tilt about being in a relationship with Hirotaka.  So much so that she’s avoiding him altogether (workplace relationships have so much potential for awkwardness) .  She even snarks to Hanako that “Kabakura is more my type” – which of course Hirotaka overhears.  This is played mostly for laughs, but it is kind of serious.  In terms of hangups Hirotaka seems considerably more settled and at peace with himself than Narumi.  Fortunately for her he’s chill enough not to be hurt by the way she treats him, but there have to be limits to that somewhere.

Meanwhile, the real movement in the episode for me comes with Tarou and Hanako.  As it turns out not only are the two of them already in a relationship (1st ep, pairings settled) but Tarou is a closeted otaku too.  Their relationship is by no means idyllic, but I think they may provide an example for their kouhai on this front.  The two of them (in addition to being very entertaining) are clearly more mature and more at home in relationship mode, and they seem to have figured out how to make it work at work.  They have a shared history too (rival volleyball captains in high school).

The trip to Animate was good fun all-around, especially where Tarou was concerned.  I kind of get his mindset about not going to such places in work clothes (for some reason that makes me feel awkward too).  But best was his sheepishness about his particular sphere of interest.  It’s not like Hirotaka could care less, and Hanako certainly would know about it by now.  He and Hanako provide a nice contrast to Hirotaka and Narumi and are equally as entertaining, so I hope they remain a big part of the story going forward.