There’s no denying the charm of Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii – for me, anyway.  Considering all the factors, I think this series gets the balance about as close to perfect as one could hope for.  It needs its characters to be quirky in order to be an entertaining premise, and they are.  But they’re not cartoon caricatures like so many otaku characters in anime – either romanticised or marginalized to the point of absurdity.  Romantic life is tough for all kinds of adults in modern Japan – why should it be any different for otaku?

As for Comiket, the backdrop for this episode, well – there’s no denying it’s become omnipresent in anime over the past few years as the medium has become more and more self-obsessed.  So it’s probably not realistic to expect any kind of truly fresh or original take on the experience.  But entertaining is certainly possible, and this instance meets that threshold comfortably.   Comiket will of course be a huge event for both Narumi and Hanako.  For Hanako it’s her grandest stage, but it’s even more crucial for Narumi.  Not only is it quite an important day financially for anyone who hopes to make real money as a doujin writer, she’s also a rabid fangirl and Comiket would be her Mecca even if she didn’t exhibit there.

Once again here Hirotaka proves himself to be a marvel of patience and calm.  The stoic exterior doesn’t seem to be an act – Hirotaka really is that chill.  He’s even OK with being left to watch Narumi’s table while she’s off fangirling, turning himself into an object of great sensation among the female (and other) yaoi fans on Comiket’s first day.  Meanwhile Hana has of course dragged Tarou along, though in truth he doesn’t seem to mind so much – apart from being a bit jealous when adoring female fans swarm all over his cosplaying girlfriend.

The main event is not Comiket, though, but another’s weekends visit to Hirotaka’s apartment.  Being the tone-deaf social misfit that he is, Hirotaka neglects to tell Narumi that his invitation was also extended to Tarou and Hanako, and that it was for a gaming sleepover.  Narumi’s angst over all this (especially the color of her underwear) is pretty endearing, and it comes to the boil when Hirotaka suggests she take a shower (in Japan, a normally unmistakable clue).  Clearly Narumi has been with men before (no reason why she shouldn’t have been) but her nervousness here suggests that she’s never cared for any of them the way she’s come to care for Haruka.

All in all, this is a very endearing bunch.  Hirotaka is remarkably comfortable in his own skin and genuinely disinterested in popularity, but he’s undeniably psyched (in a flatline sort of way) to have friends he can ask over to game with him.  Hanako and Tarou have an easy familiarity with each other that puts one in mind of an old married couple (which they probably will be some day).  Narumi has to carry the weight of neuroses for the lot of them, but she’s more than up to the task.  And she seems to have lucked into a relationship with the actual perfect guy for her.

Lastly, I enjoyed the whole sequence around looking for Hirotaka’s stash.  It’s so Hirotaka to be perfectly fine with Narumi and Hana sneaking about in his room while he showers (though as we learn later, he has good reason to be unconcerned).  Turns it he does have a jam of his own – big boobs – which Narumi clearly feels is a little too much pressure.  I have questions – was Hirotaka’s stash in Tarou’s desk all along – and if so, why did Tarou never find it?  Or if Hirotaka moved it there after Narumi started snooping around, where was he hiding it in the first place?