Sep 12, 2014
Watamote is about a girl in high school coping with social anxiety. The comedy/tragedy however, is that she is really oblivious to it. Throughout the story, she seeks out reasons as to why she doesn't have many friends or isn't popular amongst her classmates, that derive from the point of her simply being very socially anxious and afraid to talk to people. Her reasons often become very farfetched and crazy, leading to comedic effect, and at the same time, it is depressing.
The thing I'd like to applaud the most is the anime's intro. Nothing could capture the overall message of the story better. It involves
...
Tomoko, chained to a wall in a city street while ordinary people are occassionally passing by her. She wishes to break free of the chain but as it is, she is unpopular, a freak, tied to this fate of being seperated from the rest, unable to be with them because she's stuck, she can't reach out to others because she has a hard time speaking to them, however, throughout the song's lyrics it is more about Tomoko's perspective, instead of the reality; "To be popular, I have to try hard".
I've never seen an anime intro that closely tied to the story in a deep way. It has true meaning, and it isn't difficult to understand the metaphors. Even though I'm not always a fan of Heavy Metal, I feel like the music genre is at its best in these situations: someone who's angry, disgruntled with things, literally shouting out their frustrations about their recent life situation. You don't need to look further than the first 3 seconds of the anime intro to notice what it's all about, a cry of frustration; "AHH! THAT'S IT, NO MORE!"
Throughout the story, there are plenty of uncomfortable moments, as you'd expect. Without giving away any specific scenarios, let's just say that poor Tomoko gets humiliated, or humiliates herself, in a massive variety of ways. Chances are you'll be able to relate to her, or at least sympathize with her. Tomoko is somewhat paranoid, and she's a heavy sufferer of what is known as "the spotlight effect" in psychology. She assumes people will notice every minute detail about her or things she does. It's a sad spectacle. This condition is noticeably present in a lot of people, but it's a lot worse with those suffering from social anxiety, as they're so self-conscious about themselves. There's moments in the anime where, in Tomoko's imagination, a spotlight is literally cast on her while she's in a room with other people. The symbolism only drives things further.
Psychology aside... The entertainment factor is high. I couldn't stop as soon as I began watching, until the series was over, over a period of 3 days or so. What I liked about it most? It's the fact that this anime truly only focuses on one person. Few anime pull it off to this degree. I'm always interested in getting to know a character this much, how they feel. It's harder to get that from an anime where it's always very "third-person", as if you're a security camera, watching a group of people interact with one another. That isn't truly getting to know them, unlike here. And I think this is what draws me to Watamote.
I'll definitely give it a 9. There are of course other 'personal story' anime out there, but this one is in a really contemporary setting, and therefore a lot of people can relate to Tomoko's daily struggle. I hope it gives those viewers some comfort in knowing that they're not alone with their problems, since many other viewers have also been able to relate to the poor girl. Watamote is truly a bonding experience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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