First, lock your windows, close the blinds, and make sure you're in an isolated location (preferably soundproof). Also, have plenty of supply of water ready. Oh and don't forget some cough medicine. Now you're probably asking yourself, “why??” The answer is simple:
You're going to be laughing so damn hard in this series like you've never ever before.
Watamote, aka No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys’ Fault I'm Not Popular!, is an animated series based off the manga of the same name written by Tanigawa Nico. The series chronicles the life of an antisocial girl named Tomoko Kuroki. It depicts the every day life of this young girl as she finally becomes a high school student. The problem? She is literally an otaku with no social experience with no real friends, much less a boyfriend. Well, now that might be something that not any of us wants to be in the shoes of but for Tomoko, it's what she has to go through every single day of her life.
For Tomoko, she is what represents the antithesis of a high school girl. While most girls in high school already have friends and are looking forward to the dating cycle, Tomoko is still in the baby stage of her making a real friend. (a boyfriend would obviously be better but I think that might be out of her league for now) Tomoko has always being a shy girl throughout her childhood and has a problem of getting along with others socially. In fact, her social skills are so below average that through flashbacks, we see she has only made three actual “conversations” with her peers. But hey, it's high school so the opportunity to shine is now right? WRONG. For Tomoko, it doesn't seem like much has progressed. She is still stuck as an antisocial girl with zero experience in socializing. She often has thoughts in her head too that are filled with delusions about others. For instance, she often fantasizes what it would be like if she really was popular. These delusions expands on her being the queen, majesty, or some sort of celebrity in her own mind. Other times, she pictures herself in a world of her own where she is the ruler and the subjects are those 'popular kids'. Unfortunately, she often mixes the wrong way between her fictions and reality. These usually result in consequences...mostly getting herself embarrassed or humiliated.
What impresses me most about her character is that Tomoko is very relatable. In fact, most of her life situations can be traced to our own childhoods. In fact, some of you reading this might be one of those folks who were once antisocial yourself. There's a line though between being antisocial or just a nutcase. In Watamote, Tomoko takes it to the extremes through her behavior. She has a love for BL games, often gets ideas from the manga/anime she is in love with, and always seems to say or do the wrong things at the wrong time. (mostly anyways) Furthermore, Tomoko seems to have a perverted mind as well as she fantasizes about genders of both sexes. In particular, her 'friend' Yui is a target of those perverted thoughts as she plays strange imaginations in her head.
The series follows a slice of life format so don't expect any form of arc going on. What you should expect though is Tomoko's progression as she tries to climb out of her shell in terms of being the antisocial kid. She doesn't have any real friend and seems like High School isn't getting any better. In fact, her vow to become more popular is played as parodies with each of her attempts. These usually are plans played in her head that often doesn't seem to go the way she wants to. Tomoko's reliance on the knowledge she gets from anime, manga, and in the otome game world doesn't help her at all. Although it's played as a parody most of the time, there are moments where we may also feel sorry for her. Why? Perhaps it's because we might have been in the same situation before. In fact, there is probably one moment in life where you feel like you just can't succeed in something no matter how hard you try. In the end, you realize it might all be pointless. For Tomoko Kuroki, it's something she has dealt with many times in her life. “What's the point?”
Tomoko's relation with her family is surprisingly quite realistic; at least at first glance. She has caring parents whom often cares for her daughter despite them not knowing of her way of life. Tomoko's younger brother Tomoki Kuroki is also portrayed as being just what a younger brother might be like in the real world – impatient, reserved, and often brutally honest. Throughout the series, we clearly see that the two of them behaves like siblings because of the way the argue. Some of these are based off of normal norms while other times are related to almost no reason. Regardless, it's realistic in my point of view because siblings always gets into fights no matter what. In fact, if you had a sibling, wasn't there at least one time where the two of you disagreed over something? (even if it's completely pointless?)
On the other hand, we later meet another character who served as an 'old friend' of Tomoko. Unlike Tomoko though, she significantly changed not only physically but also in terms of her personality. She represents what Tomoko is not – pretty, cheerful, and sociable. It's sad to see Tomoko being compared to such a person throughout the series because the gap in their differences. Furthermore, she seems to have accomplished a goal in her life that has been an obstacle that Tomoko tried to overcome all this time. Sometimes, you just have to feel sorry for her.
The idea and originality of Watamote isn't as fresh as some people might think though. Recent series such as My Romantic Comedy SNAFU also depicts a young boy with delusions and being antisoical while being acquittance with a beauty. Other series such as Welcome to the NHK and The World God Only Knows also depicts the otaku culture with an antisocial character and being unpopular with their peers. The highlight to Watamote though is that Tomoko is an extreme case but also struggles to overcome her obstacles in a more humorous way. The way Tomoko is portrayed often shows that she is stuck in a labyrinth of her own problems. There seems to be no way out for her because of various reasons. These reasons are often humorous but if we take them to the real life world, it can be a serious problem. Regardless, I find Watamote and its portrayal of Tomoko's character to be very entertaining to watch.
The comedy of the series are also the highlights. There are references being made to pop culture as well as other popular anime/manga series. Sometimes though, I feel like the show is trying a bit hard or more repetitive than it should be. Tomoko's quest to become more popular in high school might also frustrate viewers especially those who wants her to succeed. Then finally, Watamote might also be a painful watch especially for those who has truly been in Tomoko's shoes before. It makes some of us look back and tell ourselves, “wow, I think I've been there before..just look at me now”.
Watamote's artwork overall is painted with a simple style. Tomoko's character is probably the most noticeable. The way she looks isn't what some people might call 'attractive'. Rather, she is designed in the way an antisocial kid might be like. Her long hair, bagged eyes, and way she dresses shows that she isn't the typical valley girl. In fact, she doesn't use makeup or spent hours doing her hair in the morning. Silver Link adapts the manga well for the visuals just the way it ought to be – straight forward and simple.
As for soundtrack goes, Watamote's OP song, Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui by Konomi Suzuki n' Kiba of Akiba is extremely noticeable with its combination of rock and metal cords. Along with the strange appeal to her character, the song depicts Tomoko as a kid who doesn't fit with the popular crowds. The OST of the show is pleasant and often times plays noticeable tones of its soundtrack during certain scenes. These usually include moments when Tomoko gets caught up in awkward moments. The ED contains several different styles but all of them are portrayed as humorous and awkward. Finally, I would like to give praise to Tomoko's VA Kitta Izumi for her role in this series. Her voice as Tomoko truly shows that she is antisocial girl with no social skills and troubling delusions.
Ultimately, this show is one hell of a fun ride. I forgot the amount of times I had to screenshot those hilarious moments involving Tomoko. It brings about the humor of what an antisocial girl might be like in the case of Tomoko. Although the series does take it a bit to the extreme at times, I find it funny to watch because it pokes fun at the idea. In fact, the idea of being antisocial is often portrayed as a serious consequence. And indeed it is but in Watamote, the show gives off more of a humorous experience in the eyes and shoes of Tomoko. It's not a good thing to be antisocial or delusional but this show portrays it in such a way that you can't sometimes help but laugh. (at least I did) I hope you get a good laugh from this series as well. High school experiences might not be something we all enjoyed in our lives but it's certainly an important part of our memories. For Tomoko, that might not be appealing but this series sure was.
