“And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online?” (also known as “Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?”) is a school-life / gaming romantic comedy about an MMO-obsessed boy whose “online wife” turns out to be a real girl at his school, blurring the line between net life and reality.

And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online? – Quick Scoop

What it is

“And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online?” is originally a Japanese light novel series that was later adapted into an anime TV series. The story mixes MMORPG gaming, high school club antics, and awkward romance with a heavy dose of comedy.

  • Japanese title: “Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?”
  • Main genres: Romantic comedy, school, gaming/MMORPG.
  • Adaptations: Light novels, manga, and a 12-episode anime TV series released in 2016.

Core premise and main characters

The series follows Hideki Nishimura, a shy but passionate gamer who plays a popular MMORPG called “Legendary Age.”

Setup

  • Hideki’s trauma: He once confessed in-game to a “girl” named Nekohime and was rejected when “she” admitted to being a middle‑aged man.
  • His vow: Humiliated, he swears never to trust anyone claiming to be a girl online again.
  • Two years later: He joins a guild called Alley Cats and eventually accepts an in‑game marriage proposal from a guildmate named Ako.

The big twist

When the guild decides to hold an offline (real‑life) meetup, Hideki discovers:

  • His fellow guild members are all girls.
  • They all attend the same high school as him.
  • Ako Tamaki, his “net wife,” is actually a socially awkward but genuinely pretty classmate who is deeply attached to him.

Key characters

  • Hideki Nishimura / Rusian – The male protagonist, a “nice but slightly dense” high school gamer who plays the knight Rusian in LA and struggles with romance IRL.
  • Ako Tamaki – Hideki’s in‑game wife, a loner who cannot clearly separate game from reality and sees Hideki as her real husband, not just a party member.
  • Akane Segawa – A tsundere‑style classmate who hides her gamer side and worries about her reputation, yet is deeply into online games.
  • Kyoh Goshouin – The wealthy and eccentric student council–type who leads their guild as “Apricot” and helps form the school’s gaming club.
  • Nekohime – The “cat‑ear priestess” player who rejected Hideki years earlier and is actually an adult woman with her own quirks.

Main themes and story beats

The show leans into light, comedic takes on online identity and otaku life rather than deep psychological drama.

Online vs real life

A central thread is Ako’s inability (or refusal) to distinguish between the MMO world and real life:

  • She treats in‑game marriage as real marriage and calls Hideki her husband at school.
  • She struggles with normal social interactions, skipping school when things get overwhelming.
  • Hideki and the others decide to “rehabilitate” her gently, trying to teach her where game ends and reality begins while still respecting that gaming is important to her.

School gaming club arc

After discovering they’re all classmates, the group forms a school club dedicated to playing Legendary Age.

  • They must find a teacher adviser or risk being shut down, leading to various comedic missions and “recruitment” attempts.
  • The club balances test scores, school rumors, and their MMO raids.
  • One sequence even has the group tutoring Ako using the game itself so she can pass exams.

Romance and jealousy

The romantic angle is more fluffy than serious:

  • Hideki slowly realizes that he likes Ako as a person, not just as his net spouse.
  • He eventually tries to confess properly, but Ako initially rejects the “girlfriend” label because, to her, they are already husband and wife by virtue of the game.
  • Jealousy shows up when Ako sees Hideki helping other female players (like Sette or Nekohime) and worries about losing him.

Tone, appeal, and typical reception

This is very much a “watch it for fun” show rather than a heavy, serious drama.

What people tend to enjoy

  • Light romantic comedy with MMO flavor: Lots of guild chat, raids, and in‑game jargon to amuse people familiar with online games.
  • Fish‑out‑of‑water humor: Characters who are competent online but socially clumsy offline, leading to misunderstandings, rumors, and overreactions.
  • Cute, slightly chaotic heroine: Ako’s clinginess, jealousy, and confusion about reality provide many of the show’s comedic beats.

Common criticisms

  • It leans heavily on clichés: “otaku boy + awkward gamer girl + high school club” is a familiar recipe.
  • The exploration of online identity and escapism is mostly surface‑level, focusing on jokes and fanservice more than deep analysis.
  • Some viewers find Ako’s blurred sense of reality more played for laughs than thoughtfully addressed.

Latest news, trending context, and forum chatter

The anime itself aired in 2016, and there has not been a major new season announced, so it’s largely considered a “completed” show in terms of big developments. However, it still pops up in discussions whenever people talk about:

  • Retro or mid‑2010s “gamer” anime alongside titles like “Gamers!” or “BOFURI.”
  • Shows featuring MMO relationships or in‑game marriage done for comedy.
  • Lighthearted depictions of “girls in online games,” especially in threads about gender identity in MMOs and why some women use male avatars.

On forums, people often highlight:

“High school based slice of life anime centered around the main protagonist Rusian, as he is introduced, surrounded by girl gamers who share his MMO.”

Others dig into Ako’s character as an example of using gaming as escapism, or talk about how playing male or female characters online can feel more authentic than real life for some players.

Multi‑angle quick take

Here’s a compact view of how the series is often seen:

  • As a romcom: Cute, silly, game‑themed romance with a clingy heroine and a well‑meaning but awkward lead.
  • As a “gaming” show: Filled with MMO references and guild dynamics, but not a hardcore mechanics deep dive.
  • As a social commentary: Touches lightly on online identity, escapism, and social anxiety, but keeps things mostly comedic.
  • As a trend piece: A snapshot of 2010s anime’s fascination with virtual worlds and the “are there really girls online?” meme.

TL;DR: “And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online?” is a 2016 romcom anime and light novel series where a traumatized gamer discovers his in‑game wife and guildmates are actually girl classmates, leading to a chaotic gaming club, fluffy romance, and plenty of jokes about how messy the line between online and offline life can be.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.