What is it with anime introducing new characters right in front of the finish line this season?  It would be one thing if the main plotlines were more or less settled, but that’s certainly not the case with Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii.  It doesn’t look like we’re going to see much development between Narumi and Hirotaka, and that was never going to be brought to a satisfying conclusion in one more episode anyway.  But is this really the time to be introducing a brand new subplot?

Well, time or not, new subplot we have.  And it’s centered around Nao, who’s hardly the most compelling character in this cast to begin with.  But I suppose this does justify his having been introduced in the first place.  While doing a sweep before his break (a Starbucks requirement) he spots a young man (he thinks) playing a game he’s seen Hirotaka playing, and takes an interest.  But Sakuragi Kou (Aoi Yuuki) panics at being spoken to and bolts away with a string of mumbled apologies, leaving behind a dropped handout from one of the classes at Nao’s college.

If Kou had indeed turned out to be a guy this situation would have had more potential for genuine interest, I think, but as is it’s more likely to end up as a fairly standard and safe romcom subplot.  But Kou is a girl, and one of Nao’s friends who went to high school with her realizes it – though the fact that he doesn’t tell Nao makes him kind of a douche, if you ask me.  The best thing going for this twist is Aoi-san, who really is one of the best and most versatile seiyuu of her generation.  She really captures Kou’s neurotic and androgynous anti-social nature (the resemblance to Hiro is surely no coincidence) and makes the character instantly more engaging that it probably was on the page.

The other angle playing out this week is Hirotaka breaking his glasses, forcing him to become pretty much helpless to survive on his own, never mind work.  The point of all this is the women in the office (including Hanako) making note of the fact that he’s a bit of an ikemen, which makes Naru jealous.  To which I say: what the hell right do you have to be jealous when you clearly don’t see Hirotaka as attractive yourself?  This aspect of a relationship isn’t especially rare, either in anime or real life, and it’s always galling to see it rear its ugly head.  Maybe this is the sort of thing that might make Narumi re-think her romantic indifference towards Hiro – but are we even going to have enough time to find out?

I do like Wotakoi an awful lot, but there’s a level of frustration at what seems to be unfulfilled potential.  I was so psyched to see the main couple get the pre-relationship posturing out of the way in the premiere, but we’ve seen 10 episodes go by and the two have never really acted like they’ve been in a relationship – or rather, one of them hasn’t.  I get why this is happening and it’s totally authentic to Naru’s character, and it works quite well on its own narrative terms – but it’s still a rare chance wasted to see an adult romance in anime really explored.