Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii – 08

「苦手な雷と、気になるお年頃」 (Nigatena Kaminari to Kininaru Otoshigoro)
“Weakness is Thunder and Years of Insecurity”

Can this show literally do no wrong?

General Impressions

This week’s episode felt like a master class in relationship building. Specifically, I still can’t get over just how amazing Hirotaka is at being a relatable human being who seems to be navigating this labyrinth at the same pace we are.

Starting off with his unexpected gear of lightning and thunder, I loved how the show managed to inject him with a bit more of outward facing personality by exposing a fear of his. What started as a silly joke about losing your save file during a power outage quickly turned into a nostalgic memory of Hirotaka remembering something special about the girl who he’s literally head over heels for. Something that I think makes his relationship with Naru that much more adorable when you realize just how long he’s been harboring feelings for her.

As if that wasn’t enough, the latter half of the episode was literally Hirotaka (in his own unique way) expressing just strongly he feels about Naru. Kicking things off with an explanation behind why he has a still-healing ear piercing, you didn’t really feel the emotions punch you in the gut until you realized just how much Hirotaka is willing to change for the girl of his dreams. As a game-otaku who would choose games over just about anything else, I think it’s quite telling just how special Naru is for him when he’s able to place her over his love for games. Also, can we take a moment to pause and appreciate just how smooth he was when he invited Naru out on a date? Something about his straight faced demeanor dropping such an important line while not even cracking a grin felt so freaking cool that I had to rewind the whole thing a few times to really appreciate it.

Man, how can you not love Hirotaka?! That said, for those of you who are in it for Kabakura and Hanako, there was a really cute moment between the two hidden in the midst of all the Hirotaka development. As a “mature couple” that’s somehow managed to survive through all their bickering, I thought it was really funny to watch Hirotaka notice all the small mistakes Kabakura was making as Hanako was dropping hints about just what she wanted.

God, after an episode like that, just how much better can things really get? Luckily, we still have a good chunk of episodes left and I can’t wait to share my experiences with all of you guys. In any case, I’ll catch you guys next week where no matter what happens, I’m willing to bet it’ll be great. See you then!