Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!?
Japanese manga series
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Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!? (Japanese: オタクに優しいギャルはいない！？, Hepburn: Otaku ni Yasashii Gyaru wa Inai!?), also known as OtaGal (オタギャル, Otagyaru), is a Japanese manga series written by Norishiro-chan and illustrated by Sakana Uozumi. It began serialization in Coamix's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Zenon in August 2021. An anime television series adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment premiered in April 2026.
| Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!? | |
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Kei Amane | |
| オタクに優しいギャルはいない！？ (Otaku ni Yasashii Gyaru wa Inai!?) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Norishiro-chan |
| Illustrated by | Sakana Uozumi |
| Published by | Coamix |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Zenon Comics |
| Magazine | Monthly Comic Zenon |
| Original run | August 25, 2021 – present |
| Volumes | 12 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Shin Mita |
| Written by | Kazuhiko Inukai |
| Music by | Kō Satō |
| Studio | TMS Entertainment |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
| Original network | ANN (TV Asahi), BS Asahi |
| Original run | April 8, 2026 – present |
| Episodes | 4 |
Plot
Takuya Seo, a loner student, is a fan of anime series targeted towards young girls, but is embarrassed about others finding about this interest. He sits behind two gyaru classmates, Kotoko Ichiji and Kei Amane, whom he sees as belonging to a different caste. However, after accidentally dropping his eraser and overhearing them talking about anime, he realizes that they actually share similar interests. The three set up a relationship, bonding over their shared fondness for anime, and both girls find themselves falling head over heels in love with Takuya, even though he remains completely oblivious.
Characters
- Takuya Seo (瀬尾卓也, Seo Takuya)
- Voiced by: Shō Komura[2]
- An otaku student with a strong interest in anime and manga. He is secretly a fan of the series Kirarimon Pets, and accidentally reveals this when he corrects Kei and Kotoko after overhearing them talk about it, which leads to him forming a connection with the two. He is fairly observant, often noticing when the girls get too close, do embarrassing things without realizing it, or when Amane is hiding her true feelings about being an otaku. He is very grateful for Kei and Kotoko’s friendship, as it allows him to openly enjoy the hobby he loves and be himself. He easily gets flustered by the girls’ actions, especially when they act affectionate around him, though he is completely oblivious to the girls being in love with him, and only sees them as good friends.
- Kei Amane (天音 慶, Amane Kei)
- Voiced by: Konomi Inagaki[2]
- One of Takuya’s two gyaru classmates and a close friend of Kotoko. She has long brown hair and a more reserved personality. She is secretly an otaku, but tries to hide it by claiming her interest is on behalf of her sister, which does not fool Takuya. When it comes to anime and manga, she becomes very excited and tends to speak without holding back, sometimes saying strange things without realizing it. She truly values Takuya as a friend and is grateful to have someone she can openly share her hobbies with. Over time, she appears to gradually develop feelings for him, though he has no idea.
- Kotoko Ijichi (伊地知 琴子, Ijichi Kotoko)
- Voiced by: Yū Serizawa[2]
- One of Takuya’s two gyaru classmates and a close friend of Kei. She has short golden hair and an outgoing, cheerful personality. She is very open-minded, quickly understanding Kei and Takuya’s interests and even developing an interest herself. She is also observant, noticing Kei’s otaku tendencies, her occasional slip-ups, and her growing relationship with Takuya. Outside of school, she helps take care of her siblings to support her mother, and appears much different—wearing glasses, with messier hair and no makeup—a side of her that Takuya has seen, much to her embarrassment. Deep down, she appreciates Takuya’s honesty and kindness, and feels bad that he has no close friends. Like Kei, she also seems to gradually develop feelings for him, but he is oblivious.
- Genichirō Ijichi (伊地知 弦一郎, Ijichi Genichirō)
- Voiced by: Jun Kasama[3]
- Sayu Amamiya (雨宮 紗優, Amamiya Sayu)
- Voiced by: Konomi Kohara[3]
- Kakeru Ijichi (伊地知 翔, Ijichi Kakeru)
- Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki[3]
- Kotoko's younger brother, who is attached to Sayu. He mistakes Takuya for being Kotoko's boyfriend.
- Hibiki Ijichi (伊地知 響, Ijichi Hibiki)
- Voiced by: Emiri Katō[3]
- Kotoko's younger brother. He has a crush on Sayu and also thinks that Takuya is Kotoko's boyfriend.
Media
Manga
Written by Norishiro-chan and illustrated by Sakana Uozumi, Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!? began serialization in Coamix's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Zenon on August 25, 2021.[4] Its chapters have been compiled into twelve tankōbon volumes as of March 2026.[5]
During their panel at Sakura-Con 2025, Yen Press announced that they had licensed the series for English publication.[6]
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 19, 2022[7] | 978-4-86720-321-7 | November 4, 2025[8] | 979-8-85542-287-0 | ||
| ||||||
| 2 | September 20, 2022[9] | 978-4-86720-425-2 | March 24, 2026[10] | 979-8-85542-289-4 | ||
| ||||||
| 3 | February 20, 2023[11] | 978-4-86720-474-0 | October 27, 2026[12] | 979-8-85542-291-7 | ||
| 4 | June 20, 2023[13] | 978-4-86720-515-0 | — | — | ||
| 5 | October 20, 2023[14] | 978-4-86720-575-4 | — | — | ||
| 6 | February 20, 2024[15] | 978-4-86720-614-0 | — | — | ||
| 7 | June 20, 2024[16] | 978-4-86720-659-1 | — | — | ||
| 8 | October 19, 2024[17] | 978-4-86720-694-2 | — | — | ||
| 9 | February 20, 2025[18] | 978-4-86720-738-3 | — | — | ||
| 10 | June 20, 2025[19] | 978-4-86720-771-0 | — | — | ||
| 11 | October 20, 2025[20] | 978-4-86720-809-0 | — | — | ||
| 12 | March 19, 2026[5] | 978-4-86720-860-1 | — | — | ||
Anime
An anime adaptation was announced on October 1, 2025.[21] It was later revealed to be a television series that will be produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Shin Mita, with series composition by Kazuhiko Inukai, characters designed by Rion Matsuda, and music composed by Kō Satō.[2] The series premiered on April 8, 2026, on the IMAnimation W programming block on TV Asahi and its affiliates.[3] The opening theme song is "Hide and Seek", performed by I-dle, and the ending theme song is "Ishō Nakako" (一生仲仔), performed by Sun Soo Girl.[3] Crunchyroll is streaming the series.[3]
Episodes
| No. | Title [22][23] | Directed by [22] | Written by [22] | Storyboarded by [22] | Original release date [24] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Can a Gal Be Kind to Otaku?" Transliteration: "Otaku to Gyaru to Kiramon to" (Japanese: オタクとギャルとキラモンと) | Shin Mita | Kazuhiko Inukai | Shin Mita | April 8, 2026 |
| 2 | "Is My Room a Hangout Spot for Gals?!" Transliteration: "Boku no Heya ga Gyaru no Tamariba ni!?" (Japanese: ボクの部屋がギャルのたまり場に!?) | Minoru Tozawa | Kazuhiko Inukai | Hiroyuki Fukushima | April 15, 2026 |
| 3 | "Do You Want to Come Over?" Transliteration: "Uchi... Agatteku?" (Japanese: うち...上がってく?) | Taiki Nishimura | Kazuhiko Inukai | Hiroyuki Fukushima | April 22, 2026 |
| 4 | "Let's Go to Karaoke" Transliteration: "Karaoke Ikō" (Japanese: カラオケいこう♪) | Naoki Hishikawa | Aki Kindaichi | Susumu Nishizawa | April 29, 2026 |
| 5 | Transliteration: "Dō yo? Uchira no Mizugi wa" (Japanese: どうよ?うちらの水着は♡) | Moe Sasaki | Mutsumi Itō | Hiroyuki Fukushima | May 6, 2026 |
Reception
By February 2024, the series had over 500,000 copies in circulation.[25]
See also
- The Shy Hero and the Assassin Princesses, another manga series written by Norishiro-chan