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"* Based on a romantic cosplay comedy manga by Hashimoto Yuu.

"I have no interest in real girls!" So claims Okumura, the president of the school's manga club. He's your typical otaku, obsessed with a sexy (fictional) 2D manga character known as Liliel. Then the new school year starts, and a (real!) 3D girl named Ririsa whose passion is cosplay joins the club. Ririsa convinces Okumura to become her photographer–and guess who her favorite manga character is? Not only that, but Ririsa is into modeling the fetishy stuff! The boundaries between 2D and 3D start to blur as this hot-blooded romantic comedy unfolds.

Source: Seven Seas Entertainment"

Genre(s): Cosplay, Romance

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I know there is discussion of this already in the seasonal thread (I'm a bit behind), but here's my two cents. I've read much of the manga, and when I began this, I was immediately annoyed by the otaku exchanges that rolled my eyes in the manga. I almost immediately thought that while I enjoyed the series, this wasn't a story I needed to experience again... But by the end of episode 2, with the introduction of Mikari, a glimmer of hope shone through. Not because she is some great waifu (all the girls are, of course), but because I need some counterbalance to the otaku Lilliel worship- it's just tiring for me.

Setting aside if any of this is realistic or weather Ririsa is a manic Pixie Dream girl (a conversation we had during Dress up Darling as well), I am confident to call this story utterly contrived. Otaku-kun hates 3d girls- introduce a girl who is basically 2d! Model comes to school- surprise, she knows Otaku-kun from before and has a mega-crush! We suspect these may not be the last coincidences in 2.5d seduction. Nothing is earned and nobody learns anything above shallow platitudes so it (the story) just doesn't mean anything or have weight like DUD at least tried to.

Animation is serviceable, character designs on point, and the pacing isn't half bad. There's plenty to like here, I just don't fully jive with otaku celebrations in anime as I grow increasingly disillusioned by Otaku culture in general, but that's another conversation.