Oct 4, 2023
STORY: “It’s you guys fault I’m not popular!” Or is it? Tomoko Kuroki is entangled in her own thoughts and chained by her lack of social skills. Most of her endeavours could literally be described as romanticizing your melancholic solitude. Time and time again without progressing, she tries to fit in by applying patterns she learned from watching anime or playing otome-games.
While it is frustrating to watch Tomoko being embarrassed and failing to socialize, I like about her character that she still lingers onto her youthful hope, that people will like her without her needing to act or change. Without being forced, Tomoko will
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rely on escaping into the anonymity of the internet and on substituting simulations and fake scenarios for real affection, love and attention of her peers. She only so manages her pathetic life because her parents care for her, and fulfil her basic needs. Other than that Tomoko stagnates and only wanders astray, days passing by.
Her entire character is of ambivalent nature and portrays the uncertainty of life as a misfit. In one instant she wants to be like everyone else, in the following, she condemns them for their “immodest” practices or deems those a waste of time. She finds comfort in looking down on others, while at the same time wanting to be like them. What will dominate her feelings? The peaceful bliss of being alone or the existential dread of being lonely?
The depressing atmosphere of this anime, evoked by the pitiable attempts of Tomoko to somehow ameliorate her social life without stepping out of her comfort zone renders this anime so real, and more or less relatable. This is furthermore emphasized by the many satirically employed references to more idealistic anime for example. 6/10
ART: Watamote has decent artwork, and I haven’t noticed any flaws. I have always liked studio Silver Link’s playful and vivid approach to animation, as this really adds much to feeling what the characters experience. E.g., Tomoko being drawn gray, while everyone is drawn colorful in school symbolizing her being excluded while everyone is amusing themselves. Another thing I noticed is that the studio uses different art styles to fit different situations, and to support the storytelling. 8/10
MUSIC: The ending with its “yami kawaii” sound slaps. The lyrics are an internal cry for help masked by the catchy upbeat music. The opening and OST are forgettable, although I liked how the soundtrack made situations in which Tomoko couldn’t read social cues more awkward. 7/10
ENJOYMENT: Is everyone else stupid, or am I just retarded? I may have related to Tomoko more in the past, as I now have matured and have become more self-conscious, but just like her back then I couldn’t understand why people would have fun in activities I thought of as mundane. Like playing ball games during recreation. Or spending time with each other after school. Nonetheless, I wanted to attain that bond the others in school had: Friendship. This was during my elementary years; I had a hard time finding friends and I fled to my very own means of escapism. I would have hoped that Tomoko somehow comes to terms with the concept of the individuality of the group and each of its members, and tried harder to overcome her social anxiety, reflecting upon the root of her struggles: her negative expectation. As much as I like the slice of life genre, the lack of a take-away message, real development, and some comedic elements consisting of Tomoko being mocked in vulnerable moments are cruel. 5,5/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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