Reviews Manga / Otaku No Musume San

Parenting for otaku

Otaku no Musume-san is superb. Best described as one part Genshiken, one part Maison Ikkoku and one part Bunny Drop, it's surprisingly true-to-life in the issues it tackles, as well as the way it handles them.

Early chapters focus more on the 'this is what you do?' reactions of Kanau towards her Otaku father and the residents, but it also takes into account that Kouta has to learn how to be responsible for his daughter; sometimes he messes up badly. Later on the rest of the residents and their relatives are given more focus, and it's here it shows its strength - the interactions between them are complex. They're not always happy or easily resolved either. Despite this, serious elements are always balanced out with the funny.

What I liked

• Range of personalities
• All the references
• More than a few nods towards reality ("family isn't always a joy"; "there aren't always good solutions" and so on)