Line #19 ShoutOut/WotakoiLoveIsHardForOtaku


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wmks.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Just a casual ad for the ''Literature/HowToRaiseABoringGirlfriend'' movie!]]
3
4	This show has plenty of references, as this is essentially a love letter to the {{Otaku}} culture.
5	----
6	! Manga
7	* Hanako ropes Narumi into cosplay during their second Comiket together, and they both cosplay as characters from ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''; Hanako is dressed as Edmond Dantes, and Narumi as the female player character.
8	* In the manga promotions, Hanako, Taro, and Hirotaka are positioned like they'd be in a ''Chiemi Blouson'' skit, with the former in Chiemi's place and Tarou and Hirotaka acting as her hunky flanks.
9	* In chapter 79, the crew is clearly playing ''VideoGame/DeadByDaylight'', despite it never being mentioned by name. The chapter then goes on to detail the win percentage of each of the main 4 + Kou when they play as the assassin. Naoya's the sole exception who gets his win rate as a survivor shown...and it's a paltry 1%.
10
11	! Anime
12	!! Episode 1
13	* When Narumi boards the train while going to work, the advertisement panels all show a picture of Megumi Kato from ''Literature/HowToRaiseABoringGirlfriend''. It's also the shop banner for the following episode's RealLife bookstore chain "Animate" and returns as a poster on Taro's apartment wall in the last episode.
14	* The character Hanako cosplayed as when Narumi first met her at Comiket? Date Masamune from ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara''.
15	* The video game Hirotaka constantly plays on his Platform/NintendoSwitch is ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'', specifically the ''Generations Ultimate'' UpdatedRerelease; in the {{Manga}}, he plays on a Sony Platform/PlayStationPortable.
16
17	!! Episode 2
18	* A few references to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' are used at the beginning of the episode:
19	** When Narumi is pondering over whether she hurt Hirotaka's feeling by avoiding him, she looks across the room to Hirotaka and Taro, who are respectively emulating Gendo Ikari's infamous FingerTenting ScaryShinyGlasses pose and Kozo Fuyutsuki's beleaguered stare; both are even positioned exactly like Gendo and Fuyutsuki in Gendo's office. Made more explicit when Hanako swaps Taro's name for Fuyutsuki. The scene is accompanied with the opening notes to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u6V6UisBz8 Decisive Battle]]
20	** When debating who is the "best girl", Hanako goes with Asuka, while Narumi chooses Rei. When Taro and Hirotaka are wondering what they're talking about, the narration reveals the guys select Mari and the [[CargoShip Evangelion Unit-01]], respectively.
21	* Hanako's disagreement and response to Narumi's choice for the above, "Very well. Then krieg is what you shall have", is a word-for-word quote lifted from The Major's "I love war" speech in ''Anime/{{Hellsing}}''.
22	* The sequence where Narumi tries to flee from what she thinks is an enraged Hirotaka takes elements from {{Eastern RPG}}s, senior among them being ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' and its battle dialogue and options, including "couldn't run away" when escape is not an option.
23	** The tune when Hirotaka cuts off Narumi's escape the first time is the same 8-bit death theme from ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}''.
24	* The trip after work to Animate manages to pack in visual nods to a wide variety of {{Manga}}:
25	** ''Manga/TheAncientMagusBride'' by Kore Yamazaki is purchased by Hanako.
26	** ''Manga/YuruYuri'' is one of the titles Taro picks up.
27	** The pair of promotions on the automated doors are ''Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui'' (right) and ''Manga/MySenpaiIsAnnoying'' (left).
28	** ''Manga/MagicalSempai'' by Azu is the title that Hirotaka looks at.
29	** Of the BoysLove titles Narumi buys are ''Tashiro-kun, Kimi tte Yatsu wa'' by Yamada, ''Kimi wa Natsu no Naka'' by Nagisa Furuya, and ''THEO'' by Nachi Aono. In the same scene, Hanako holds a volume of Hashigo Sakurabi's ''Dakaretai Otoko Ichii ni Odosarete Imasu''.
30	%%** ''Hitorijime My Hero'' by Memeko Arii
31
32	!! Episode 3
33	* What Hanako is cosplaying as at Comiket is [[VideoGame/ToukenRanbu Shokudaikiri Mitsutada]].
34	* The narration of Narumi pushing through Comiket crowds to "rescue" Hirotaka from over-eager {{Fujoshi}} (and one "sketchy older guy") plays on ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run,_Melos! Run, Melos!]]'', a classic Japanese short story about a man's desperate race to save his friend's life (or, more likely, one of its {{Animated Adaptation}}s).
35	* In a {{Flashback}}, Narumi and Hirotaka are playing ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' on the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]]; in the present, the two (later joined by Taro and Hanako), play ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'' on the Platform/NintendoWii.
36	* Hirotaka has figurines of [[Manga/MasamuneKunsRevenge Yoshino Koiwai]], [[Manga/EngagedToTheUnidentified Kobeni Yonomori]], and [[Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi Kaede Nagase]] in his apartment; for the {{Manga}}, the figurines that are shown are of [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Luka Megurine]] and [[VideoGame/KanColle Nagato]], instead.
37	* When browsing through a box of stuff in Hirotaka's room, Narumi takes out a bunch of {{Collectible Card\|Game}}s; its formatting looks exactly like the one used for ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh''.
38
39	!! Episode 4
40	* In the first minute, ''[[Anime/SailorMoon Sailor Moon R]]'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' are explicitly name-dropped. Curiously, viewers only see the end of one of Usagi Tsukino's GirlishPigtails playing on Narumi's smartphone, despite the name-drop.
41	* When Hirotaka asks Taro what did Hanako bribe him with in order to {{cross dress\|er}}, the latter replies a [[VideoGame/KanColle Yuudachi Kai-II]] figurine.
42	* When Hanako breaks down into tears at the restaurant, claiming she'll never be like Ranka, Taro asks if that means she's more like Sheryl, referencing the heroines who form two legs of the LoveTriangle in ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'' - the former being cute and petite like Taro's ideal girl, the latter more buxom and mature like Hanako.
43
44	!! Episode 5
45	* As Hirotaka is slowly falling asleep, Taro wonders if he spent last night staying up to play video games. Hirotaka answers "''Ikanimo''!!"[[note]]A double {{Pun}} on the expression ''ika ni mo'' meaning "indeed" and "''ika''" meaning "squid"[[/note]] while making a squid gesture with his fingers, a reference to ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}''. Curiously, Narumi mixes up the name of ''Splatoon''[='s=] "Inklings" by calling them "''[[Manga/SquidGirl ika musume]]''".
46	* Hirotaka mentions Narumi should stick with just playing "''[=DōMori=]''" because she isn't a hardcore gamer. The game in question is the short-form of ''Dōbutsu no Mori'', the Japanese name for the first installment of the ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' series.
47	* Another ''Evangelion'' reference appears, this time in the form of Hirotaka's younger brother Naoya: when the latter misunderstands a {{Pun}}, Narumi, Hanako and Taro are aghast and think "Pattern Blue", used in the series to indicate an entity is unambiguously an Angel. Within context, the three immediately know Naoya is not an {{Otaku}} like them.
48	* While the {{Anime}} makes it ambiguous (even though Hirotaka passes Taro a Platform/NintendoGamecube controller), in the {{Manga}}, the game they're playing at Hirotaka's apartment is explicitly ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl''.
49
50	!! Episode 6
51	* The "''Kabe-Don''!!" seen at the start of the episode between Hirotaka and Taro, as Narumi and Hanako are gleefully taking pictures, is based on the sterotypical act where [[WallPinOfLove a man corners a woman against a wall, then slaps the wall to surround her]], giving a LoveConfession. While popular in {{Shoujo}}, it's also present in other genres like {{Yaoi}}.
52	* After finding out that they both forgot their umbrellas, Hirotaka and Narumi reference "Melt", the RealLife smash hit song composed by Music/{{supercell}}, as sung by Music/HatsuneMiku. Within context, "Melt" is a love song about a shy girl walking together with the boy whom she has a crush on.
53
54	!! Episode 8
55	* In the beginning of the episode as Narumi is walking to work, she says, "The wind is troubled today." which is a reference to the short, "High School Boy and Literary Girl" from '' Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys ''
56
57	!! Episode 9
58	* Both of Narumi's reactions after buying the churros go into {{Art Shift}}s that are based on certain {{Manga}}: the first one, about doubling down, is from ''Manga/{{Akagi}}'' and the second is from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure''.
59	* When Narumi mentions changing her smartphone's background and taking key chains off of her bag the night before going on dates, the key chain and phone wallpaper shown in the background are of [[VideoGame/ToukenRanbu Kashuu Kiyomitsu]].
60	* While waiting in line, Hirotaka is seen playing ''VideoGame/PokemonGo'' on his smartphone, citing how he caught "Happinas", the Japanese name of "Blissey" (in the {{Manga}}, he finds a Dragonite instead); he also makes a quip about wanting to perform a "Musou Attack" when he and Narumi are stuck in the midst of a large crowd, the name of the {{Limit Break}}s from ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' and its {{Spin Off}}s.
61
62	!! Episode 11
63	* At the start of the episode, there are posters for ''Literature/EromangaSensei'' and ''Manga/WatatenAnAngelFlewDownToMe'' on the wall of Taro's apartment. While he's reading a volume of the latter title's {{Manga}}, Hanako is reading ''Manga/HitorijimeMyHero''.
64	* When Hanako states the BoysLove genre is no different than {{Shoujo}} to Taro, she name-drops Sakura, the eponymous character of ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura''.
65	* At the end of the episode, when Narumi asks Hirotaka, Tarou and Hanako who each of their respective 2D "FirstLove" is, they respond with [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Nakoruru]], [[Manga/MaisonIkkoku Kyoko Otonashi]] and Yuki Amami[[note]][[http://asianwiki.com/Yuki_Amami Likely the actress]], best known to have played male characters in the Creator/TakarazukaRevue and mostly popular with women[[/note]]; Narumi herself answers [[Manga/NintamaRantarou Doi-sensei]].
66
67	! Film
68	* The dance sequence at Comiket features Narumi and Hirotaka dancing with a crowd of cosplayers. In no particular order, the cosplayed characters include WebAnimation/KizunaAi, Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Madoka Kaname]], [[VideoGame/EnsembleStars Subaru Akehoshi]], [[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya Haruhi Suzumiya]], [[Manga/BungoStrayDogs Atsushi Nakajima]], [[Manga/BungoStrayDogs Osamu Dazai]], [[VideoGame/KanColle Shimakaze]], [[Franchise/StreetFighter Chun-Li]], [[Literature/ReZero Rem]], [[Literature/SwordArtOnline Kirito]], [[VideoGame/ToukenRanbu Mikazuki Munechika]], [[VideoGame/ToukenRanbu Tsurumaru Kuninaga]], [[VideoGame/ToukenRanbu Yamatonokami Yasusada]], [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch Lamperouge]], [[Anime/CodeGeass Suzaku Kururugi]], [[Anime/CodeGeass C.C.]], [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Mashu]], [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Saber]], [[VideoGame/FateGrandOrder Archer]], [[Anime/KingOfPrism Shin Ichijo]], [[Literature/{{Toradora}} Taiga Aisaka]], etc.
69	* Narumi's room is covered in anime memorabilia, including ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' and ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs''. She also has a Dazai bedsheet covering the back of her chair.
70	* When Narumi runs into her friends at a restaurant, they are cosplaying as ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' characters: Mashu, Jeanne, Saber, and Gudako.

Context ShoutOut / WotakoiLoveIsHardForOtaku