Review: MY DAD'S THE QUEEN OF ALL VTUBERS?!

Maybe I should shift my focus away from more old-school notions of otaku-dom to more modern concepts like this one.

MY DAD'S THE QUEEN OF ALL VTUBERS?! (Oyaji ga Bishojo ni Nanetta Hanashi?!), by Wataru Akashingo.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2020.

PLOT:

Of all the VTubers out there, none of them are more popular than Kisuke Yae.  To an ordinary teen boy like Takashi, she's a dream come true.  That dream is shattered when he learns that the person behid Yae is his own father.  He's quite happy in his new job, but he doesn't want his wife to learn the truth.  That's probably for the best considering that she also is a secret VTuber who is struggling to find an audience.  Can Takashi juggle both of his parents' secret lives without the other finding out?  And can he avoid falling into the VTuber lifestyle himself?

Review: MANIAC ROAD

It's not like manga that are all about glorifying otaku and Akihabara are anything new, as this manga clearly demonstrates.

MANIAC ROAD (Manii Roudo), by Shinsuke Kurihashi.  First published in 2002 and first published in North America in 2005.

PLOT:

Takeru was an otaku on his last thread when he passed out in front of the Kinushima sisters' shop.  He was originally hoping to score an ultra-rare video game collectable, but instead he finds an opportunity.  The girls inherited their father's hobby shop, but since his death it's fallen on hard time.  If they can combine the shop's merchandise with Takeru's talent for model-making and a bit of promotional cosplay, then maybe they can turn around all of their fortunes for the better.

Review: OTAKU ELF

This month I'll be attending two different anime conventions, so I figured that the blog might as well get into the same spirit by reviewing some otaku-centric manga.  That being said, maybe I should have started with something a little more original than this one.

OTAKU ELF (Edomae Elf), by Akihiko Higuichi.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2021.

PLOT:

For generations, Koito's family have been the keepers of the Takamimi Shrine, home of the ageless goddess.  That goddess is in truth Elda, a elf who was transported to Japan over 400 years ago.  She's a hopeless otaku who would rather stay in all day playing games, eating snacks, and chugging energy drinks than perform her "godly" duties (much to Koito's eternal annoyance).  Bit by bit, Koito tries to convince Elda to venture out into the world, if simply to enjoy some new meals and meet the adoring folks of the neighborhood.