Alternate titles: No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!; Watashi ga Motenai no wa dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui
Manga Adaptation by Silver Link
Simulcast on Crunchyroll

Premise: After logging countless hours playing Otome games, Tomoko fully expects to be popular in high school. Yeahhhh that doesn’t work out so well…

Jel’s Verdict: Pity Party

I’m having trouble sorting out my feelings about WataMote. It straddles the line between wallowing in self pity with its target audience and genuinely bringing attention to the societal pressures of being popular and pretty, especially for teenage girls. I found my stomach churning at Tomoko’s socially delusional coping mechanisms, her rationale so finely tuned to mirror the thoughts of countless lonely internet nerds that it is not the least bit surprising to learn how popular the manga is with 4chan. And yet as the episode came to a close, with Tomoko crushed at overhearing her brother’s friends call her ugly, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her.

I guess the question I have is what will be WataMote’s ultimate message? Is this going to be a story about how she digs in her heels and learns to love being a social outcast, or is this going to be a story about personal growth, no matter how small, as she tries to reach out of her insulated world? After one episode I could see it going either way, and I think I would actually enjoy it if the second scenario plays out. Add in some fancy directing from Shin “Shinbo Lite” Oonuma and a hilariously intense OP and I think I’m willing to give it another episode.

Lifesong’s Verdict: Painfully Funny

And the award for Most Clueless and Socially awkward goes uncontested to Tomoko! I have to say I felt sorry for this girl by the end of the episode. I felt even more sorry for her brother… dealing with someone like that would be a nightmare. I almost feel like I am a bad person for enjoying this show. This girl’s misery is the punch line of every gag. Tomoko’s painfully awkward personality is amusing. I will be watching more.

Aquagaze’s Verdict: Wish Fulfillment By Any Other Name

It is not hard to see why Watamote has been so heartily received by the Western anime fanbase — by which I mean /a/. It allegedly provides a “real”, non-sugarcoated perspective on the hardships of geek life, starring an “uncute”, relatable main character who wants to be an upstanding citizen without having to be ashamed of what she likes. Yeah, no. Watamote is very often simply an otaku power fantasy like Oreimo or Sword Art Online in a slightly smarter package. Certainly, the opening and ending sequence hit home and some of the little jabs at the aforementioned Oreimo are cleverly implemented. As an anime comedy, Watamote might not even be half bad. As a piece of writing, however, it is the anime equivalent of a Tumblr kid to whining about how ‘oppressed’ their subculture is.

Watamote really is not as clever as people want it to be. It is often nothing but a temper tantrum where nerds can cry in each others’ arms about how unfair society treats them. In stead of being a true psychological exploration of what it is like to be a teenage social outcast, it wastes most of its time being angry at people who have it ‘better’ than Tomoko. After all, must I remind you that this show is called No Matter How I Look At It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular? In the end, WataMote is one fifth shrewd jokes and four fifths a self-righteous apology that only aims to insulate geeks even further. Despite what it likes to think, it still has all the characteristics of other nerd-centric circlejerk anime, such as the pointless references to popular anime or Tomoko applying visual novel lingo to real life. It is as shallow a parody as it is a commentary on the treatment of asocial people. Pity.

Gee’s Verdict: Un/Comfortably Nostalgic

As a guy, who despite all of his hot blood, had once suffered from anxiety issues while possessing the social grace of a 3-legged horse, I always found something amusingly nostalgic about the way the manga hit a little too close to home for me. While I probably was never as bitter and delusional as Tomoko, I can certainly sympathize with some of her tribulations. For example, I also once had to deal with getting out of a restaurant while my schoolmates were there at the same time. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Overall, I had my doubts about WataMote being translated into an anime. While I enjoy the manga’s hilariously depressing situations, I wasn’t sure the light-narrative would work well in the 22 minute format. I’m still not sure if it would work well, but for the time being, it’s a faithful adaptation of the kind of sheer awkwardness I think a lot of people can, if not at least empathize with/cringe at, than most certainly laugh at.

However, after you’ve all read Aqua’s condemnation, I’d like to point out that this show really isn’t trying to send some grand social message or make a stand for some glorious cause. It’s a simple story that just happens to be a mirror for a lot of us. We’re not looking for self-righteous validation or some kind of insular circlejerk, just a tangible confirmation that somebody out there sympathizes with how ridiculous and occasionally funny such socially awkward situations can be.

Zigg’s Verdict: Identity Crisis

I enjoyed this way, way more than I thought I was going to, but I did come in with low expectations, fearing the kind of circle-jerking pity party Aqua describes. As it is, I thought this episode was way better than that and that it actually managed a few little moments of charm that made the less stellar parts tolerable. Tomoko’s an appealing lead character, and cute no matter what the show tells us. She’s a lovable loser who’s actually sharp enough to realise how hopeless she is and attempts to dig out of it. That’s where she’s better than a bunch of the otaku stereotypes that have come before her – she’s actually willing to make an effort to cure her issues, an admirable trait.

If I had an issue here it’s tonal inconsistency. I didn’t find the show very funny when it goes for jokes and preferred the sort of gentle melancholy it takes in its quieter, slower bits. I’m not suggesting it become DARK but I do fear that perhaps they’d prefer to keep it as a silly set of sketches, rather than let it play out into a much more interesting quirky drama about character growth. As Jel says it could go both ways, but I’m hoping a light touch leads this to become a charming meditation on breaking out, rather than an otaku-bait reference fest. Great  artwork from Silver Link helps too. Definitely intrigued to see more.