My Senpai is Annoying was one of last season's standout anime series. Based on the manga by Shiro Manta, the series delighted audiences with its blend of workplace comedy and sweet but unlikely romance. However, now that the series has ended, many fans are looking for a new show to dive into.
Thankfully, for those anime viewers who are on the lookout for comedy-romance titles that focus on working adults rather than junior or high school students, here are some shows to get started with after My Senpai Is Annoying.
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku started out as a web manga series written and illustrated by Fujita. However, the series proved popular and spawned a print manga and an anime produced by A-1 Pictures. The series follows Narumi, a fujoshi otaku who is embarrassed by her lifestyle. When she starts a new office job, she becomes attracted to Hirotaka Nifuji, an old friend from middle school who also works at the same office. When Hirotaka reveals that he is also still an otaku, their friendship changes dramatically.
Packed full of heart, charm and workplace comedy, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku will delight fans of My Senpai is Annoying, and its gentle and realistic handling of otaku makes it stand out among the crowd.
Working!!
Produced by A-1 Pictures, Working!! is an adaptation of the manga created by Karino Takatsu. The series is set in the Wagnaria family restaurant and follows Souta Takanashi, a new employee. Souta's love of all things small and cute causes him to fanboy over Popura Taneshima, another employee. However, Popura has a complex about her short stature, making her have mixed feelings about Souta's attentions.
Unfortunately, Wagnaria isn't the most efficient restaurant, and tiny problems quickly blossom into utter chaos, forcing everyone to think on their feet. Moreover, Popura isn't the only unusual employee at the restaurant, as Souta also has to deal with the androphobic Mahiru Inami and the violent Yachiyo Todoroki. Slightly more chaotic and surreal than other workplace comedies, Working!! is perfect for those who love their workplace romances on the wacky side.
Ganbare Douki-Chan
Ganbare Douki-Chan was one of 2021's sleeper hits. Starting life as a series of one-off illustrations made by artist Yomu, the images proved popular enough to develop into a full manga. AtelierPontdarc then turned the manga into an ONA in September 2021. Ganbare Douki-Chan follows Douki-chan, an office lady with a crush on a fellow worker called Douki-kun. However, Douki-chan can't decide how to declare her feelings for her co-worker, so she spends her time admiring him from afar and dreaming about what might happen if she acted on her feelings. This situation becomes more complex when Douki-chan learns that she isn't the only one with a crush on Douki-kun.
An utterly charming show, Ganbare Douki-Chan might be lighter on the belly laughs than other romantic comedies. Nonetheless, it delivers a lot of heart and a genuinely relatable look at yearning and the awkwardness of crushes.
Wave! Listen to Me
One of 2020's most overlooked anime shows, Wave! Listen to Me is based on the manga created by Hiroaki Samura. Minare Koda is a down-on-her-luck waitress doing her best to get over a bad breakup. One evening while intoxicated, she rants to a man at a bar. However, unbeknownst to Minare, the man is a producer at a local radio station, and he broadcasts Minare's rant. This gets Minare fired from the restaurant, but the listeners love her, and she ends up getting her own show.
Now, in her new job, Minare must struggle with a new environment, money troubles, the scars from her breakup and her new crushes, all of which lead to frequent chaos. Animated by Sunrise, Wave! Listen to Me is a hilarious twist on standard workplace comedy tropes, especially as the radio station setting opens up many new and unique jokes and situations.
Ojisan and Marshmallow
Ojisan and Marshmallow is based on the manga created by Rekomaru Otoi. It was later turned into a short anime produced by Creators in Pack. The series follows Habahiro Hige, an overweight man who works at a web company. Habahiro has one love: Tabekko marshmallows. Habahiro's co-worker Iori Wakabayashi knows this and often teases him about it. She regularly eats Tabekko marshmallows in front of Habahiro and often buys all of the packs at his local store just so he has to go without.
However, this isn't out of cruelty. In fact, Iori actually has a crush on Habahiro and wants to get his attention, even if she is unsure how to do it. A cute series of shorts, Ojisan and Marshmallow is perfect for viewers looking for a quick fix of workplace comedy romance.
