Otaku Elf
Otaku Elf is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by. It began serialization in Kodansha's ' in June 2019. After the magazine ended publication, the series was moved to the ' website in December 2023. Its chapters have been collected in 12 volumes as of October 2025. An anime television series adaptation produced by C2C aired from April to June 2023.
Plot
Sixteen-year-old Koito Koganei has recently become a miko at the Takamimi Shrine, and thus the caretaker of the shrine's living "deity", a beautiful ageless elf by the name of Elda. However, Elda is a shut-in who greatly fears going beyond the boundaries of the shrine ever since a boy accidentally taunted her about her ears 60 years ago. As a result, Koito tries to get Elda out of her self-made shell and enjoy life in the larger world, with somewhat mixed success.Characters
; Koito Koganei; Elda / Eldarie Irma Fanomene
; Koma Sakuraba
; Koyuzu Koganei
; Yord / Yordeilla Lila Fenomenea
; Himawari Kohinata
; Haira / Hylaria Aira Mirarasta
; Isuzu Koimari
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by, Otaku Elf began serialization in Kodansha's ' on June 17, 2019. After the magazine ended publication on October 18, 2023, the series was transferred to the ' website starting on December 20. As of October 2025, 12 volumes have been published. In North America, Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the series in print and digital formats.Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced in June 2022. It was produced by C2C and directed by Takebumi Anzai, with scripts written by Shōgo Yasukawa, character designs handled by Takeshi Oda, who also serves as chief animation director, and music composed by. The series aired from April 8 to June 24, 2023, on the Animeism programming block on MBS and other affiliates. The opening theme, "Kien Romance", was performed by Nanawo Akari, while the ending theme, "Odoru Hikari", was performed by Cody Lee. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series, and they streamed it on Hidive. Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific and they streamed on the Ani-One Asia YouTube channel.Episodes
Reception
Alex Henderson of Anime Feminist reviewed the first episode, stating that the series understands the importance of having "endearing character dynamics and deeper themes", with Elda not only loving gaming, but has a "deep sense of care for the community" she cares for, and described it as a supernatural comedy with silliness grounded in characters that are not "one-off jokes", without any fan service.Burkeley Hermann of Pop Culture Maniacs appreciated the "slice-of-life nature" of the anime, stating how that "makes it different from magic-themed series such as Healer Girl and Management of a Novice Alchemist."