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Fujita's Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashi Wins Web Manga General Election

pixiv and Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Inc's "Web Manga General Election" announced its winners last week. 50 selected titles vied for the prize from 1,600 nominations. Ultimately, Fujita's Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii took the top spot. The manga is on a roll this year, nominated in the Best General Manga category for the 41st annual Kodansha Manga Awards in April, ranked #9 on bookshop owner's recommendation list, is a top-selling title for the first half of 2017 by both series and volume sales, and most recently picked up for a television anime adaptation slated to air on the Noitamina block in the spring.

What's all the fuss about? The romantic comedy's protagonists are very relatable. The manga's story centers on the awkward relationship between Narumi, a female office worker who hides her fujoshi lifestyle, and Hirotaka, a handsome and capable company man who is secretly a game otaku.

The manga beat out other established titles including Tsuredure Children, Hori-san to Miyamura-kun, How to keep a mummy, Made in Abyss, Momokuri, and ReLIFE. In fact, none of those series even broke the top 10.

In second place is boys-love tinged comedy Raijin to Riman (Thunder God and Salaryman) by RENA. The story follows the office worker Omura, who recently had his heartbroken by another man. His overworked, depressed days are shaken up when he finds a Raijin in his apartment. The thunder god is tired of living as a deity and decides that he wants Omura to turn him into a human.

In third place went to Sachi-iro no One Room by Hakuri, a "heart-warming" story of a duo on the run. The main character is a girl who is kidnapped but after a certain amount of time, she finds herself wanting to live and even marry her captor, a man who saved her from an abusive household, a classroom that bullied her, and a teacher that sexually harassed her.
The full top 10 winners are:

1. Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii by Fujita
2. Raijin to Riman by RENA
3. Sachi-iro no One Room by Hakuri
4. Yuruo-senpai to Watashi by Megumu Murawa
5. Sasaki to Miyano by Shō Harusono
6. Yankee Shota to Otaku Onee-san by Yumi Seikai
7. Torimania by Gaku Kuze
8. Sōshisōai by Riberumu
9. Teramori by iko
10. On the way to Living Dead by Mimi Kitaōji

The site also announced its winners in the “Indies” section. The 15 competing titles were taken from 900 total nominations.

The top three winners are Uramichi Oniisan by Gaku Kuze (pictured), Yukuyuku Futari by Natsu Tadano, and Motokare ga Fudanshi ni Natte Orimashite. by Taro.

Source: Anime! Anime!