Since The Otaku Love Connection made its English debut in early 2025, it has proven itself to be a charming romantic comedy with an otaku-flavoured twist. And now we return to the series for Volumes 3 and 4 to find out if it’s been able to keep it up long-term!
Lately things have been going incredibly well for Otonari and Mashiro, as they’ve become friends with the beloved couple they cheer on: Yuzuru and Chihiro. They even made some new friends when fujoshi Jogasaki and her childhood friend Hashibami joined the group. But now a storm is brewing, one that threatens to rip Otonari and Mashiro apart…
It has come to the attention of our duo that they ship Yuzuru and Chihiro differently. Otonari believes that Yuzuru is the ‘top’ in their relationship, while Mashiro can’t imagine anything other than Chihiro acting as a Prince Charming and the ‘top’ in her world. And as anyone who has ever been into shipping before, you’ll know that this is a difference of opinion that drives a massive wedge between friends. So much so that this could be the end of everything.
So Jogasaki and Hashibami step in, hoping to convince the two to put their differences aside. Not least because they’re not shipping a fictional pair of characters; Yuzuru and Chihiro are real people with their own feelings. And in that situation, isn’t it wrong to push your own feelings onto them? And worst of all, Yuzuru and Chihiro don’t understand why our main duo have fallen out. Can those two really stand by and let their favourite ship be sad?
Volume 4, meanwhile, is a much less drama-filled affair! The summer break has arrived, and the group are determined to make the most of it. With a trip to Comiket, a day at the beach and a group sleepover, there are plenty of your traditional summer hijinks going on. But most importantly, Otonari, Mashiro, Yuzuru and Chihiro are hoping that this leisurely time spent together may move things along for Jogasaki and Hashibami who clearly have feelings for one another but have been unable to recognise it for themselves…
These two volumes of The Otaku Love Connection are well rounded and give us a bit of everything. There’s drama aplenty, but also a great deal of the warm atmosphere we’ve come to appreciate the series for. I also greatly appreciated the storyline in #3 when it comes to how Otonari and Mashiro go about shipping because it’s one element of the series I always felt could make readers uncomfortable. But this storyline takes those concerns directly to the characters, making them realise how their actions can affect the people they love so much. It’s a credit to Chu Amairo for how well handled this whole thing is.
And that subtle change in how our main cast approach the world is followed through to Volume 4, where that underlying sense of discomfort is no longer present. Instead, we can wholeheartedly enjoy the cast going about their summer activities. I especially enjoyed the chapters set during Comiket, where our cast are dressed up in cosplay, which allows Amairo gets to draw some lavish outfits, the likes of which we wouldn’t normally see in this everyday setting.
The Otaku Love Connection Volumes 3 and 4 come to the West thanks to Square Enix Manga and continue to be translated by Minami with lettering by Brandon Bo at the beginning of both releases as well as ample translation notes and an exclusive ‘bonus’ chapter. So, plenty to enjoy here!
Since I last reviewed the series, Volume 5 has been released in Japan as of July. However, due to how recent a release that is, it’s not yet in the English schedule. So we’ll be waiting a while for that, I suspect. Amairo also has a new ongoing series (なごみ吸血鬼のこごみさん), so I suspect releases for The Otaku Love Connection may slow down in general.
Overall, these two volumes of The Otaku Love Connection continue to offer a warm romantic comedy. With plenty of character development, some important conversations and a whole heap of fun, this is well worth continuing with.
Free previews can be read on the Square Enix Manga website
Our review copies from Square Enix Manga were supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services)
© Square Enix CO. LTD / Chu Amairo
Demelza
When she’s not watching anime, reading manga or reviewing, Demelza can generally be found exploring some kind of fantasy world and chasing her dreams of being a hero.
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