Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii

[grecefar]

I know the chapter was about hanako and kabakura but... hirotaka was on fire in this chapter.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by grecefar

I know the chapter was about hanako and kabakura but... hirotaka was on fire in this chapter.

Yep, Hirotaka was really funny in this ep.

[ID555]

I'm surprised Hirotaka was ok with crossdressing. Not that interested in the 2nd pair but at least the main pair is taking another step forward in their relationship.

[Blueknight78]

Originally Posted by ID555

I'm surprised Hirotaka was ok with crossdressing. Not that interested in the 2nd pair but at least the main pair is taking another step forward in their relationship.

well hirotaka don't look like your "generic" otaku looser which is ultra shy, dense, tsundere and perv, he looks like the "cool otaku guy" which can easy pass as a "normal" if he is not playing games.

[ID555]

Originally Posted by Blueknight78

well hirotaka don't look like your "generic" otaku looser which is ultra shy, dense, tsundere and perv, he looks like the "cool otaku guy" which can easy pass as a "normal" if he is not playing games.

That's true, lol.

[Guardian Enzo]

I thought that was very much in character. Hirotaka seems quite comfortable with who he is and pretty unconcerned with what others think of him.

[ID555]

Kabakura is such a bro, trying to make sure nobody tries to steal his buddy's girlfriend.

For some reason I found the bgm quite jarring this episode. Wonder if it's always been there in the previous episodes?

[Cloudedmind]

Parts of this episode left a bad taste in my mouth. There are aspects of Kabakura I like less and less.

[Kanon]

The little brother turned out to be a lot nicer than I expected. I totally thought he was pinning for Narumi.

[Mistyclear]

Originally Posted by Kanon

The little brother turned out to be a lot nicer than I expected. I totally thought he was pinning for Narumi.

He’s apparently just very innocent...

[SeaDoor]

I'm a bit curious about episode 3. That seems to be somewhat different from the others in terms of overall flow and voice acting. Was wondering if 3 had a different director or writer?

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Kanon

The little brother turned out to be a lot nicer than I expected. I totally thought he was pinning for Narumi.

I stopped thinking that once I heard about the 7 years age difference. Sure, now it's not so bad, but he was like 10 years old when Narumi was in high school. (I'm assuming they kinda lost touch around when she went to college.)

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I stopped thinking that once I heard about the 7 years age difference. Sure, now it's not so bad, but he was like 10 years old when Narumi was in high school. (I'm assuming they kinda lost touch around when she went to college.)

I think it was around high school. Narumi has mentioned how Hirotaka and her were elementary and middle school friends. So, I'm assuming they ended up in different high schools and lost touch.

[grecefar]

They went separate ways in high school, in the chapter narumi didn't know about hirotaka piercing in the ear when he did it in high school.

thank god little brother wasn't in love with narumi.

[EroKing]

[grecefar]

depressed because her favorite manga character died... I felt that too a couple of times.

I think this needs more romantic scenes between narumi and hirotaka, just like koyanagi and kabakura, I know they're just begun to date and narumi doesn't seem that into him but it looks like they already have a couple of months now in the relationship so... come on romance!, maybe they can continue were they left when narumi misunderstood the situation.

[Kanon]

Yep, so far the side characters are getting far more romantic moments. It feels like Narumi and Hirotaka are dating in name only, and are really still just friends.

[FredFriendly]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Yep, so far the side characters are getting far more romantic moments. It feels like Narumi and Hirotaka are dating in name only, and are really still just friends.

From my perspective, it is Narumi who is "dating in name only" and is not in the least interested in Hirotaka romantically, but Hirotaka does like Narumi romantically, and seemingly has done so since he was young. I wouldn't doubt that Narumi would drop Hirotaka like a hot potato if some strapping hunk like Kabakura started paying attention to her. Their relationship has had zippo romantic development (and no chemistry), particularly since Narumi does not seem to hold Hirotaka in very high regard, more oft than not dissing him than complimenting him. It's like she's using him as a place holder until someone better comes along. They are, in effect, "friends without benefits."

[ID555]

Haha a 'prayer for tough times'.

It does feel like the other couple is getting as much screen time but I suppose that's because of how slow the 'main' couple's relationship is moving. I also like the contrast it shows between a new otaku couple and an advanced one - expensive dinner at Christmas vs staying at home gaming, lol.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by FredFriendly

From my perspective, it is Narumi who is "dating in name only" and is not in the least interested in Hirotaka romantically, but Hirotaka does like Narumi romantically, and seemingly has done so since he was young. I wouldn't doubt that Narumi would drop Hirotaka like a hot potato if some strapping hunk like Kabakura started paying attention to her. Their relationship has had zippo romantic development (and no chemistry), particularly since Narumi does not seem to hold Hirotaka in very high regard, more oft than not dissing him than complimenting him. It's like she's using him as a place holder until someone better comes along. They are, in effect, "friends without benefits."

I'd agree with almost all of the above. I disagree only with the rather cynical assessment of Narumi, about her using Hirotaka as a placeholder. I feel it's unfair and unwarranted, given that, in the first place, it was Hirotaka who "confessed" and proposed that they start dating.

That being the case, it's only natural for her to be the one who goes along with the relationship, to see whether it works out. If anything, being the initiator of the relationship, it's up to Hirotaka to assert himself, and the latest episode does indeed demonstrate how he's stepping up to the plate: By noticing that his girlfriend is feeling down — something which everyone else did not realise until Hirotaka pointed it out, which in itself says something very significant — and with him telling Narumi, in no uncertain terms, that he wants her to be more open with him, and to rely on him more.

We got to remember that Narumi had "friend-zoned" Hirotaka a long time ago, and that lies at the heart of what she initially found awkward about them becoming a couple, to go from friends to a romantic pair. But in the second episode, she made an important step, telling Hirotaka not to feel ashamed or guilty about confessing his attraction. And in this episode, we're shown that she's begun to notice other little things about him, such as how he could be very chivalrous, nudging her away from the road, to avoid getting splashed by passing cars. And in the past episode, she noticed his pierced earlobes for the first time, too.

All these are signs of her learning to see Hirotaka in a different light. So, it's not like she's not taking their relationship seriously. It's more the case that she's gradually getting used to seeing him as a significant other, and not just as a male friend.

As for the observations about how Narumi and Hirotaka are a low-key couple compared to the other two, I'd say that is as it should be. A loner with very solo-centric hobbies doesn't suddenly become lovey-dovey and all-expressive overnight. Hirotaka himself is learning about what it means to be a boyfriend. I mean, that's the whole premise of the series, isn't it? Love for nerds is hard. If Hirotaka were to suddenly become a debonair romantic lead overnight, I wouldn't find it realistic or relatable at all.