Hello, fellow grown up anime and manga fans! My name is Bryn and I am back with more recommendations for you to read/watch this month of October!
To start things off with a treat…
My first rec is a manga series! Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku is a romantic comedy that follows a cast of characters in their 20s. It primarily focuses on Narumi, who starts a new job as a professional in an office and is desperate to hide her love and obsession with anime and video games as she believes they are the cause of most difficulties in her life. At her new job, she encounters her former classmate from childhood named Hirotaka, who is also an otaku but has no shame in the amount of free time he spends playing video games. Hirotaka knows Narumi is also an otaku, so Narumi, paranoid Hirotaka will share her secret, suggests they form a pseudo dating relationship. As the series unfolds, other anime fans, cosplayers, and gamers get added to the dynamic. It very much reminded me of the days I was picked on as a kid for liking anime and was a secret that had to be kept. Thankfully, there’s a lot of us in the world with this interest, and it’s far more mainstream now. You can check out the first volume of Wotakoi here.
Next- my trick! Don’t pretend you’re surprised that I recommend something dark for the season.
This time, I suggest checking out the Netflix adaptation of the video game Castlevania. I know what you’re about to say: “Bryn, that’s not anime!” To which I would say that technically you’re right- it’s American and not Japanese. However, it’s anime-inspired in style and content, so we’re going to say this counts so we can keep things fun. Netflix’s first season of Castlevania consists of four episodes that run about a half hour each, which sets it up for the seasons that follow. It adapts the game Castlevania III and basically details some great characters banding together to defend humanity and fight against Dracula and his forces. It earns 100% of its Mature/Adult rating with the level of violence and gore included. The fight scenes were solid, and the level of vicious intensity reminded me a bit of the first few fights in Attack on Titan. I’ve only seen this first season, but from it I felt that the drama, tension, and worldbuilding were executed efficiently and I intend to watch more. You can find the first season on DVD here.
Okay, friends, that’s all she (I) wrote! Have a good spooky holiday and keep warm as the seasons change! “See” you next month!
-Bryn
