Moriko, or Morimori-chan as Koiwai likes to call her (and so do we), is absolutely stunning. Why do all the typical NEETs in anime have to be ugly obese weirdos? Not Moriko. Physically, Morimori-chan has a great body. Even though she eats a lot of fried chicken, Morimori-chan has an hourglass figure. In the first half of the series, Moriko had long messy hair. During the second half, Moriko cut her hair short. No matter what hairstyle she goes for, we can’t help but swoon.

Moriko usually sports a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants. It may not sound like the most attractive thing, but we see her beauty in any attire. When Morimori-chan goes on an outing, she’ll wear something a little girly. A short skirt, or leggings, with a plain top and a pink cardigan. But the best thing about Moriko’s looks is her stand-out beauty mark on her chin. Nothing screams “model” more than a beauty mark.

This is a bit of a cheat, but Moriko’s avatar isn’t too bad either. Hayashi, is tall, has blue hair, and a smooth voice. He’s well built, so that he can catch Lily-san in case she ever falls. Moriko’s previous avatars were cute as well. In her second account in Fruits de Mer, Moriko designed her avatar to look exactly like her, but with blue hair. Moriko also used to play as an adorable chibi character in a previous MMO. What can we say? Moriko’s got great taste.

Most romance anime have the leads being middle/high schoolers. Sometimes we get a romance that takes place in college, but not too often. Morimori-chan is a rare breed amongst romance protagonists. Morimori-chan is a full-fledged adult, who graduated college years ago. She had a full time job at an office, owns her own place, and thinks like an adult. This makes Moriko a refreshing character, who we love even more.

Although Morimori-chan does have her ditsy moments, she’ll usually ask questions instead of believing in a cliche misunderstanding. Misunderstandings are huge in romance anime. But if something doesn’t look right to her, she’ll ask questions instead of going with the flow. Moriko will agree to dates, and even work up the courage to call the man she likes. This is something you would never see in a high school romance, so we’re glad Moriko can teach these kids how it’s done.

Just because you’re 30, it doesn’t mean you have to lose your geeky hobbies. That’s what Morimori-chan teaches us. Like most girls, Morimori-chan wears baggy clothes at home and has a messy room with a giant body pillow. Moriko likes to play as the opposite sex online, a common thing that guys like to do. If you’re going to be playing MMOs all day, you might as well play someone you’re attracted to, right?

Moriko has waifus, and has fantasies about her waifu, Lily-san. As a NEET, Moriko gets nervous when talking to people in the real world. Whether they are an old co-worker or a store clerk. This is something the anime portrays as realistic, rather than use it for comedic effect. This makes us see ourselves as Moriko, and we can’t help but feel for her. Moriko is not an OP player at Fruits de Mer either. In fact, she was horrible in the beginning. In the end, it’s not about how much of a boss killer you are, but how much fun you have with your guild.

Moriko tends to overthink situations. These moments make for some hilarious scenes. Like when Morimori-chan was asked out on a date by Koiwai in episode 4. For days, Moriko was thinking way too much about how she looked. She asked her online friends about the kind of hairstyle they like, and spent a fortune on a whole new wardrobe. Moriko’s voice actress, Noto, does an excellent job at portraying an embarrassed Moriko. When Morimori-chan gets embarrassed, she thinks to herself; and when she does that, she’ll speak with a deeper voice and start speaking really fast.

Moriko apologizes a lot, especially when she talks to Sakurai. Moriko and Sakurai often exchange funny banter where they constantly say sorry and bow. In the game, Moriko gets teased by her guild leader Kanbe for making silly mistakes, such as falling asleep in the middle of a match, or teasing her for playing as a guy. Morimori-chan tries her best to make her avatar cool, but she always fails and has to rely on Lily-san to save the day.

As mentioned earlier, Moriko has low self-esteem. But when she’s around Lily-san, Moriko has the confidence to do anything. Morimori-chan will bring Lily-san gifts and ask her out on little hangouts. When Moriko was taken to the hospital after being elbowed in the face, she offered to pay the medical bills instead of Sakurai. Moriko always offers to do something more, instead of allowing her friends or dates to take care of everything.

Although we don’t know the reason as to why Moriko quit her job, we do know that she had a tough time there. According to Koiwai, Moriko used to cry at work for “no reason”. And on her date with Koiwai, Moriko mentions that she wished her old co-workers were as fun as Koiwai. Some may say that Moriko’s kindness is actually her weakness.
For example, in episode 9, Moriko and Sakurai went to a convenience store to buy some snacks. A lady who worked there asked Sakurai “Oh, you’re not dating her, are you?”. Moriko took it as an insult, and apologized to Sakurai for being seen in public with someone like her. Sakurai tells Moriko that she doesn’t need to say sorry, as he’s not embarrassed by her in the slightest. Even after all she’s been through, Moriko pushes through. By the end of the series, Moriko promises to gain more confidence and believe in herself. Just like Lily-san.