Anime fans are shipping Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Season 2 just as much as their hopes for the “best” otaku girl in the series.
The WotaKoi: Love is Hard for Otaku anime (also known as Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii or It’s Difficult to Love an Otaku) has been very popular both in Japan and internationally via Amazon Prime video, but is there enough source material for animation studio A-1 Pictures to produce a second season?
The good news is that a Wotakoi OVA episode is being planned for February 26, 2021. Studio Lapintrack will be released the WotaKoi: Love is Hard for Otaku OVA episode as part of a limited edition for manga Volume 10.
The anime series is based on the web manga series created by mangaka Fujita. The Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii manga started life on Pixiv, but since it was the most popular work on the site it was eventually picked up by the Ichijinsha’s Comic Pool for monthly digital serialization. (The anime noticeably featured both company’s names in the bookstore episode.)
The manga eventually started being physically published in hardcover tankobon format in 2015. As of August 5, 2020, the physical release is up to Volume 9.
Even before the anime adaptation launched in 2018, the manga volumes had sold millions of copies, with new volumes often ranking number one on the Oricon charts. Volume 5 was even in the top 20 for manga volume rankings for the first half of 2018, beating even popular series like The Seven Deadly Sins (check out our article on The Seven Deadly Sins Season 5).
Kodansha Comics has licensed the official English translation of the WotaKoi: Love is Hard for Otaku manga and it’s catching up to the Japanese release at a brisk pace. In fact, the official English translation is barely behind the unofficial fan translation projects available online.
As of October 13, 2020, the paperback English version is up to Volume 4. However, readers are reporting on Amazon that each paperback volume comes with roughly two tankobon volumes, so that should mean the English Volume 4 will include the Japanese volumes 7 and 8.
【#ヲタクに恋は難しい／一迅社宣伝】
お待たせしました🙏コミックス10巻特装版OAD（Blu-ray）のキービジュアルを公開です🙌今回は尚哉と光のストーリーを収録ですよ🎀
単行本も連載収録以外の描きおろしを増量した大ボリューム💯でお届けします‼
注文はコチラ⇒ https://t.co/aGER0hl0bm#ヲタ恋 pic.twitter.com/UGRQO8ejPp— 一迅社の宣伝課です。 (@ichijinsha_info) October 19, 2020
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Updated October 19, 2020: Added WotaKoi OVA episode and updated manga info.
This article provides everything that is known about WotaKoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Season 2 (Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Season 2) and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Manga Compared To The WotaKoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Anime
Note: For the purposes of this section, the anime will be compared to the Japanese manga volumes and chapters, not the English translation.
Manga fans usually get upset when an anime adaptation takes too many liberties with the source material, but in this case, any changes have not hurt because the anime has been well-received. The anime does rearrange the ordering of events and introduce some new elements, but the additions only seemed to make the story flow better.
For example, Episode 1 adapted only the first 20 pages of chapters 0 and 1 by adding anime original content. A-1 Pictures even slid in an advertisement for one of their upcoming movies and the manga’s PSP was updated to a Nintendo Switch, with Monster Hunter gameplay thrown into the mix. The manga originally had fujoshi Narumi Momose established at the company, and she was seemingly aware of rumors about other otaku working there, whereas the anime eased audiences into the setting by allowing the characters to introduce themselves naturally on her first day at the new job.
The first page of the manga literally opened with Narumi and Hirotaka Nifuji accidentally bumping into each in the hallway. In only 8 pages they were already dating, so for the anime, A-1 Pictures slowed down the fast pacing several notches and gave fans extras to smile about. But for the most important scenes, the anime has been a panel-by-panel adaptation.
The second episode continued the slower pace by introducing original content that developed the characters gradually. The second episode covered the awkward office interactions of chapters 2 and 2.5, but jumped ahead to Chapter 18 of Volume 3 for the bookstore scene. While that’s a pretty drastic rearrangement in the timeline, the change did not disrupt the flow of the story and it made sense because it showed the otaku couples bonding.
For those wanting to read the manga, the following provides a quick guide to how the anime adapted the manga chapters and the order in which the chapters appeared:
- Episode 3: Chapters 3, 4, 4.5 and 5.
- Episode 4: Chapters 5.1, 5, 6, 7.2 and 5.5.
- Episode 5: Chapters 7.2, 7, and 7.1.
- Episode 6: Chapters 2.5, 8, 9 and 10. Original content included childhood flashbacks, Hanako Koyanagi and Narumi talking about Christmas, Hanako and Tarou Kabakura eating together.
- Episode 7: Chapters 11, 17, and 16. While the manga timeline was out of order again, original content arranged the previously disconnected manga chapters into a linear story.
- Episode 8: Chapters 12, 12.5, and 13.
- Episode 9: Chapters 14, 17.5, 19.5 and 21.5. In the original story, the date at the amusement park was split up by unrelated chapters, so the anime adaptation connected the chapters into a single whole.
- Episode 10: Chapters 20, 21, 28, and 27. Elements of establishing Kou Sakuragi and Naoya Nifuji as the third power otaku couple were probably shifted into Episode 10 so the first season didn’t end with the focus on them.
- Episode 11: Chapters 23, 25, and 22. The anime introduced several new conversations in order to connect the scenes from the manga. Reordering the presentation of the chapters allowed the story to focus on reaffirming Narumi X Hirotaka, which made for a good ending.
The anime did skip some chapters which could be adapted in the second season. Chapter 15 of Volume 3 went all Freaky Friday an April Fool’s joke, which could be in the same episode as Chapter 19, which had Narumi trying to freak out Hirotaka after he refuses to be scared by horror movies. Those two chapters combined would make a good OVA episode 12. Chapter 24 was probably skipped because it was an oddball story about how the characters would differently approach pealing a tangerine and how that related to their personalities.
Chapter 26 is a flashback to when Hanako and Tarou were younger. Technically, Episode 11 did briefly touch on the subject, but the full story shows how the two argued over the volleyball courts but began bonding. This story would also make a good OVA as Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Episode 12.
All in all, the anime has adapted the chapters from the two available English manga volumes, so fans wanting to read ahead of the anime will need to jump to Volume 3.
The good news is that by 2020 there was plenty of source material available for making WotaKoi Season 2.
WotaKoi Season 2 Release Date Predictions
As of the last update, A-1 Pictures or any company related to the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Season 2 release date. Nor has the production of a sequel been announced.
Once the news is officially confirmed this article will be updated with the relevant information. In the meantime, it’s possible to speculate about when, or if, the WotaKoi Season 2 premiere date will occur in the future.
Unfortunately, there was not enough source material for producing a second season quickly As of June 2018, the monthly manga was up to Chapter 40 in Japan, so mangaka Fujita needed at least a year to publish enough chapters.
Unless the second season has even more anime original content, the lack of source material probably means anime-only fans will need to wait several years before A-1 Pictures might come back to the series. That shouldn’t be too surprising considering even popular franchises like Sword Art Online and The Seven Deadly Sins have waited many years between anime seasons produced by A-1 Pictures.
Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Season 2 Spoilers
WataKoi Season 2 has a lot of ground to be covered when it comes to certain relationships. The dynamic between Kou and Naoya was barely introduced before the first season came to an end. Thankfully, the cover of Volume 5 is one big fat hint about where the manga takes their story.
The biggest progression in their relationship is when Naoya finally realizes Kou is a girl when he spots her exiting the girl’s restroom. Kou blurts out, “I’m sorry!” and confuses Naoya, who goes “eh” and “huh.” Naoya tries to get her to wait, but she tearfully runs away down the hallway while thinking, “I was crying for the first time.”
Kou was upset because she believes Nao will be upset at her for “lying” to him for so long. So it’s up to Narumi and Hirotako to use a little online gaming to try and help clear up the misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Narumi and Hirotako will continue to develop their relationship as boyfriend and girl. It’s certain to get at least a little steamy since Volume 6 features a story about an onsen (hot springs) trip. (Which would also make a good Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii OVA Episode 12.)
The good news is that English manga readers will be able to catch up by the end of 2018. Hopefully, anime-only fans won’t have to wait forever for Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii Season 2 to be confirmed. Stay tuned!