Rin Murakami here! It’s been a while.
How have you all been holding up during these hard times? I hope that you’ve been well and safe.
As we end this story, I would like to thank you for reading Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend up to its fifth and final volume! Because of page count considerations, I’ll have to write a rather hefty afterword. Hopefully, that won’t be too boring.
This story was born from a suggestion by the editor who worked with me on my debut title, which also involved an otaku boy and a popular girl. The editor suggested that I write a new novel involving that same dynamic, but with a focus on how to find an otaku girlfriend, with a few interesting twists.
I already had a lot of knowledge on the topic, as I’d personally researched how to find an otaku date in the past, and I’m friends with various otaku couples. I was delighted to have the opportunity to write about it. Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend draws inspiration from the real-life experiences of both me and my friends.
If you, too, are looking for an otaku date, my suggestion is to take action and go to as many in-person events as possible with a friend, just like Kagetora and Kokoro did. I tried this with a friend myself, and it really did work... for him at least. If you’re still a student, you could meet your future partner at a school club or part-time job. It becomes a lot harder once you’re an adult, so maybe you should give it a go while you’re still young. Trust me, I speak from experience.
If you’re an adult, I’m sorry. Lucking out and finding a job with loads of single people around your age seems like the only solution to me.
Anyway, I hope that Kagetora’s adventures, the places he visited, and the tools he used will provide some inspiration for those seeking otaku romance. Since this is the last volume, I’ll compile a list of ways that I know have worked for some people. Enjoy!
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Offline Meetups
Meetups like the one Kagetora and Kokoro attended in the first volume are mostly held by communities on social media. Several friends of mine have actually found boyfriends and girlfriends at events like these. I’ve even heard of couples who formed this way that went on to marry. The best part about it is that, even if you can’t find romance right from the start, you can at least make some otaku friends!
Neighborhood Otaku Matchmaking Events
These events have been getting popular lately. I went to one that was held in a neighborhood around Comiket with a friend once. Several shops were taking part. There were a lot of “genuine” otaku, but also some people who didn’t really seem like they belonged there. Since we could only have short conversations, it was difficult to get to know anyone, but maybe that applies to all matchmaking events in general. I do, however, know some people who actually found dates there, so maybe it was just my luck...
Online Games
Even if it’s not an actual, physical place, I know two married couples who got together through online gaming. It may sound hypocritical to say this after including such events in Kagetora’s antics, but you shouldn’t start games just to find a date! Not that I think that anyone does that... In the case of my acquaintances, these were people who simply enjoyed the games they played already, then later met in person during offline meetups, became real-life friends and, eventually, got together as couples.
Dating Apps
I’ve also heard that, nowadays, you can use dating apps to find people with the same hobbies as yours, making it very possible to find an otaku date. I personally know people who’ve found love, and eventually even marriage, through apps like these. On the other hand, I also know people for whom the whole experience was a hassle that led to nothing but misfortune. I think it all depends on the luck of whom you match with.
Ticket Giveaways on Social Media
I imagine you’re asking yourself what this even means, but, even though it’s an obscure way to meet people, I know two different couples who married after getting to know each other this way. Basically, someone who has two tickets for a concert but nobody to go with them asks online to find someone who’s interested, they go to the concert together, and they get to know each other... and maybe become friends or something more.
For those who want to date someone with the same taste in music (or idols) as them, this probably sounds like a wonderful opportunity, but keep in mind that relationships born this way usually stem from pure chance. Don’t go around offering tickets to people on social media just to score a date, please. You should also know that some concerts forbid giving tickets away!
Parties
As it turns out, parties ripe with romantic opportunities are being held every single day. A friend of mine first met a girl (now his wife) at a Halloween costume party—the two became friends and ended up dating each other. The interesting part is that, at first, they didn’t even know they both were otaku. They only found out they shared the same hobbies after becoming closer with one another. So, even if the party that you attend is not specifically tailored to otaku, you might get lucky and find one there.
Social Media Communities
One of the couples I know met in a community on a now defunct social media platform. They started out by chatting there, got to the point of seeing each other in person, started dating, and eventually got married. Of course, since that particular platform is no more, you would have to find another suitable one. That being said, I still think the online environment helps bring people with similar interests together.
Those are the ones that I can think of. Were they useful? Did you find any that sound good to you? If you did, don’t be afraid to muster up the courage and take your chance. If you weren’t interested in finding an otaku date to begin with, I’m sorry for having wasted the last dozen paragraphs on that.
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Writing Guide to the Perfect Otaku Girlfriend has been an incredibly fun experience. It has given me the opportunity to write about otaku romance and to give life to types of characters that I’d never used in my works before. I enjoyed writing each and every volume, and I hope you not only liked reading them, but that the ending left you satisfied.
Of course, this being a romcom, the protagonist had to choose one of the girls (or at least so I believe). Perhaps this meant that Kagetora didn’t choose the path you would have wanted him to, in which case I’m sorry. And, by the way, since as an author I can’t help but self-insert into the protagonist, I also honestly feel like I owe an apology to the girls that Kagetora (and I) left behind. Don’t worry about them too much, though; I bet that, if they haven’t done so already, they’ll each find happiness on their own, even without Kagetora.
I want to thank my editors and to apologize for making their work so much harder than necessary. Sorry!
Thanks again to Mako Tatekawa, who provided yet another series of wonderfully cute illustrations for this volume. Kokoro looks beautiful wearing her wedding dress in the final illustration... and I really appreciated the warm message.
And once again, thank you, readers, for following the adventures of Kagetora, Kokoro, and the rest of the crew till the end.
In the hope that we’ll meet again someday,
Rin Murakami