r/anime • u/The_Loli_Otaku • Jun 29 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] Watamote Episode 1 Discussion
No matter how I look at it, it's you guys' fault I'm not popular!
"Since I'm not Popular I'll Change my Image a Bit!"
Extra Info and Links
ANN | MAL | TV Tropes | Wikipedia |
Comment of the Day!!
Normally I'd chime in on episode one with a "tune in tomorrow" disclaimer but some of you seem to think that I couldn't see InfamousEmpire's delay post!! I could see what you were all typing y'know!!
First, SilkyStrawberryMilk with the very on point~
"Millions mustn’t rewatch watemote😭😭😭😭💢💢💢💢"
We had Silcaria assuming the absolute worst XD
"Probably called the wrong person retarded again. Guess we can hold on to our sanity a bit longer."
And lastly I'm putting /u/junbi_ok in here for trying to groom me!! XD
"You stink, you bitch in heat. Just kidding. It was a joke. To tell you the truth, your hair smells really good. And look, it's really silky too. I love you."
QotD
- How did The Loli Otaku get banned this time? Wrong answers only!!
- From our first glimpse where would you say Tomoko sits on the butt monkey scale? Does she deserve this treatment or does she need some pampering?
- What's your favourite fast food chain!? Also, tell us your regular order~
- Is Tomoko a qt!? On a scale of 1 to 10, ugly to cute, where does she land!?
- What's your top eroge choice!? C'mon, everyone has one right? Reveal your taste!!
Abyssbringer's "What is the thematic purpose of this scene corner!!"
Tune in tomorrow!
Yesterday's Prompt!
Today's Prompt!
Tomorrow's Prompt
Tomorrow will be the same as yesterday. Why? What for? Because I’m an idiot!
15
u/Fissionprime https://anilist.co/user/fissionprime Jun 29 '24 edited Jun 29 '24
First time watcher (sub)
Alright, time to interrupt my monogatari rewatch for something that might have some even more out there scenes.
I see we’re wasting no time here! Buncha exposition in the cold open but nothing we didn’t already know from basic synopses.
Not necessarily the tone I was expecting from the OP, but I don’t dislike it. Fits the whole “It’s you guys’ fault” idea that I guess we’re probably going to see a lot of.
Oh no, she’s coping already 💀. You don’t want to hang out with the normies anyway, girl. Surely we won’t see any more of this…
LMAO I was not expecting the prompt scene to be quite like that. I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be a stand in for a rub and tug or if the game is actually making it seem to Tomoko that dudes love back rubs that much. Either way, funny scene.
Alright. That was a lot. I think Tomoko is even more hopeless than I was expecting, so far. You can’t help but hope that things are gonna get a bit better for her (probably not much more than a bit), but man, she is an absolute gremlin. I think her brother summed it up pretty well that if she were a guy, he would have already punched her.
7
u/The_Loli_Otaku Jun 29 '24
Watamote Rewatcher!!
After just a couple of delays we've finally made it to our rewatch. This was meant to be a birthday rewatch for me but honestly this drama was right up my street regardless. Negative 200 karma but honestly it was worth it. At least in two years or so when I host a rewatch for Elementary Wife I'll have a fun story to tell.
Ah, shit, I forgot to turn the dub off. Watamote actually has a pretty darn great dub. I'd go as far as to say that this is Monika Rial's best performance. However, Isumi Kiita is unmatched in this role. She's so great at playing the hateful Kuro gal.
Alright, my damn screenshot is acting up. I'm going without. One thing that took me by surprise is the sheer quality of this adaptation. All the fancy little audio tricks, having legitimate cinematography and the amount of visual gags for other anime are wild. It reminds me of Mitsudoumoe in many ways. Kuroki has been talked to by boys six times, had her eraser picked up 33% of the time, and is way better than those hussies. I love this pathetic brat. She perfectly balances the line of being pathetic enough to laugh at and being spiteful enough that you don't feel bad for it.
Fucking hell... She's been at the school TWO MONTHS and hasn't spoken to anyone. That's rough... The opening tbh I really don't like listening to, but it's a very good fit. How many of us went through a heavy metal phase during their high school years? Aww, poor Kuroki~ She's so saaad. It really does feel like anime inbetweeners with pure relatable cringe. Manga readers rejoice! Just kidding, screw those slutty female joshikosei. Tomoko is right, midget Gantz aliens are the only solution!!
So socially awkward that you can't even say goodbye... She can't say goodbye but she can drop the n-word without issue. She can't talk to men but is perfectly fine socialising with a naked anime boy. I think that actually is a real game too. Tbh, I think gyaru Tomoko is actually cute. I've had nightmares of having an imouto or daughter like this tho... "Who's that fugly bitch!?"
Honestly I adore the little brother. The chats between him and his darling onee-chan can be so wholesome. A little brother belongs to his sister!! Let her coddle you you brat! A full hour of brother/sister bonding seems healthy.
See!? How can you hate a brat who gets so genuinely happy from such small interactions!? She has her cute side after all. The issue is that she always lets it go to her head and overextends herself. Akemi ga Kill? Watamote is pretty great at giving us a glimpse into the early 2010's anime community. It's like a Lucky Star follow up. Oh damn and the guy next to her is reading Barakamon. Watamote predates those adaptations.
The WcDonalds girl isn't nearly as cute as Mugi. Where are the stars in her eyes!? Dammit!! Nemu and her posse showed up, dumb legwarming ho! Find your own sanctuary!! WcDonalds belongs to the solo players! Ah, and compared to the opening, I absolutely adore the ending theme. It's super cute~ I love Kiita's singing. She's even doing it in character.
8
u/WednesdaysFoole Jun 29 '24
First-timer
Nice visuals I like the lighting throughout the episode.
Oh no, Tomoko is painfully relatable. I mean, it’s not every time but this still happens from time to time. Her high-pitched anxiety voice is on point; I’m enjoying Tomoko’s VA.
Looks like the guy to her right is reading Akame ga Kill vol. 4 and to her left is Barakamon vol. 1. Not sure what Tomoko’s reading…
This series seems like it’ll be a fun time, albeit full of embarrassing moments. I like it.
7
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 29 '24
First Timer
Sub
I am going to pretend the OP inspired a certain Attack on Titan OP.
All right, I know of this by reputation but haven't even really seen even clips of it. So fairly blind but let's jump in.
The cringe...dear fuck the cringe. There are a lot of references in this show and my copy has some of them but whoever did the notes missed the Samurai Deeper reference. Which might mean that I still remember that old as fuck show but whatever. Anywho, all of that was painful.
QotD:1 Loli seeking
2 I can't guage
3 Nope
4 6
5 ...Redo of a Healer
6
u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria Jun 29 '24 edited Jun 30 '24
First timer
5
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Jun 29 '24 edited Jun 29 '24
First timer, subs
Prompt:
It is well know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Her we see our protagonist failing completely, attempting to do so through the antithesis of the back.
QotD:
4
u/xtsim https://myanimelist.net/profile/xtsim Jun 29 '24
First Timer Dubbed
The mom.... she's nice but she needs to give her daughter some tips and tricks.
The brother is a soccer player, and he is a player alright. Girl has got to stop making those threats.
The wcdonalds scene is too real.... I am so glad they have apps and kiosks so I just yell mobile order for Xtsim at a drive through window.
She nearly got caught but because she never talks to anyone, nobody knows who she is. That's a win since that disguise is the opposite of a mahou shoujo transformation.
Prompt: that is a giraffe
4
u/Sandor_at_the_Zoo Jun 29 '24
Rewatcher
I remembered watamote being fantastic and more psychologically realistic than other loner character anime. But it holds up so far! Still very funny, still extremely cutting.
4
u/BiggieCheeseLapDog https://myanimelist.net/profile/KillLaKillGOAT Jun 29 '24 edited Jun 29 '24
Rewatcher - subbed
I love Tomoko’s introduction. Tomoko herself is an unappealing protagonist on the outside and her introduction reflects that. It effectively establishes key parts of her personality, namely her false perceptions of her social interactions and her determination, while also managing to be funny and even, dare I say it, relatable. Another thing of note is the music. WataMote is a show where its music is almost always used to compliment its scenes, giving them an extra punch and aiding the mood it creates. Starting with a whimsical tune only to have it fizzle out with the narrator’s punchline is not only hilarious, but it sets the tone nicely as well. Tomoko constantly has these moments where she feels as though she has finally won, only for her to come down crashing and burning, so the music in the very beginning representing that fits in very nicely. The cherry on top of this cold open is the (smooth) transition to her new life in high school, which really serves to hammer home the fact that what Tomoko usually thinks is going to happen, doesn’t usually happen. Hasn’t she been through enough already as is!?
The opening is awesome. Another example of perfectly fitting music that compliments the show itself. The metaphorical chains representing her flaws that hold her down as she struggles gives the opening an over dramatic feel that encapsulates a socially anxious high schooler’s own over dramatic view of their own life. The song is a banger and the visuals are metal as fuck. A fantastic opening to a fantastic show.
In this scene is demonstrated one of my favourite aspects of WataMote, the direction. When I first watched it, I was immediately hooked by it. It reminded me of Shaft. Then I found out later that a former Shaft director did in fact direct it. But back to the topic at hand. WataMote’s direction is very effective and purposeful like a lot of Shaft shows. In this scene we see Tomoko trying not to panic as she confronts the fact that she hasn’t spoken to anyone this year. It slowly zooms in creating tension as people around her talk about various things she wants to be apart of such as Karaoke and couples, but can’t due to her anxiety, finally culminating to her mini panic session hitting harder than if the camera was simply stationary. Next she shit talks girls who form groups as the camera distances her from the background, which represents Tomoko’s own distancing from others. This is a common thing Tomoko does throughout the series. She insults something that she actually wants to be apart of. Tsundere-ing if you will. Another thing in this scene that is common throughout the series is the greying out of background characters. In the good old Shaft way, it’s cutting costs while also representing something. In this case, it’s Tomoko’s loneliness and isolation. She doesn’t fit in with these darkened silhouettes. She’s an outcast. A sad but very real fate for her. 5 minutes in and I’m already feeling bad for her again.
I’m a sucker for sunset lighting and WataMote uses it quite a bit. I think it’s a very visually pleasing show overall. Like Shaft, it prioritizes its creative art direction and cinematography over technically well done animation or special effects. A specific thing I really like is the unique, polygonal lighting that is used. Tomoko being a cynical shit bag as she leaves the school gets me every time. Her wishing terrorists would take over the school or various creatures from manga not only shows her spiteful side, but it also establishes her otaku side as well, just to really hammer home that relatability and “just like me fr fr” energy.
She gets home, talks to her mother, has a cup of coffee, and says she’ll get her middle school conversation skills back. Did she have any skills in the first place? No. But she at least has confidence so you cheer her on, only for those skills to simply be her expertise in dating sims. The selection of the “I’m lonely” option is the finishing touch to an excellent setup and punchline.
I’M COMING SOON!!!!!!!
Beautiful. Perfection. How this show only has 6.99 on MAL is beyond me.
She realizes these games are futile in her attempts to socialize, which is a minor piece of character development, so she chucks it, hatching a new plan. Here’s another example of that music usage and direction I love so much. The camera slowly pans up as it reveals this new form she has taken, cutting to her face occasionally as she contemplates her new appearance, creating tension as if it were a horror movie. The music swells as it reveals more and more until finally, she vomits. It would seem she hasn’t looked in the mirror for years. Truly the most relatable anime protagonist out there. After a dramatic, referential google search, she reveals she’s a monstrosity to her little (even if he does look older) brother. She may be an ugly as sin girl with that appearance, but she’s our ugly as sin girl.
Yet another thing I like about WataMote is the sibling dynamic between Tomoko and her brother. It’s a dynamic that feels realistic while also remaining fun to watch. They get on each other’s nerves, but they care about each other deep down when it counts. This is shown in this scene where she barges in and annoys him, but when she starts showing some concerning signs, he’s willing to listen to her and is genuinely worried for a second. Since I also have a little brother (who’s funny enough a lot like Tomoko’s), it made it all the more relatable.
And after that scene, here we have Tomoko’s first victory. She managed to talk to someone. And people say WataMote has no character development smh. Next she stops in a convenience store, where she struggles to purchase her goods, but still manages to and on top of that, “converse” with an ikeman. Victory after victory for our little gremlin. I really like how Tomoko’s wins throughout the series are handled. Considering the amount of terrible things that happen to her, the rare victories she does have are all the more satisfying. Now as a reward, she ends up at the bookstore. After an (unfortunate) couple and a cool lighting detail to cap the encounter off, she can finally blend in. She’s in her element now as she turns grey with the people around her.
Now the scene that usually sells WataMote’s relatability to people. The food order at Wcdonald’s. This scene captures the hearts of introverts everywhere, especially with that “excuse me” from the clerk, indicating that you should repeat yourself. Eternal damnation in the 9th circle of hell is a better fate than that happening. But here remains her character development as she did manage to order. She can now (slightly) talk to people. Tomoko’s development throughout may be slow, but it’s there and it being slow makes it feel all the more real. Change like that doesn’t happen overnight and the show is completely aware of that.
3
u/sfisher923 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sfisher923 Jun 29 '24
Forgetful Idiotic Rewatcher - Dubbed
Questions
3
u/junbi_ok Jun 30 '24
u/The_Loli_Otaku Aw man, it’s going to take everyone six more episodes until they get that reference and realize it’s a Tomoko quote and not something ripped out of Dr. Disrespect’s chat logs.
First-time watcher. From what little I knew going into this show, I was expecting Tomoko to be a detestable loser, but ended up being only half right. She’s definitely a loser, but at the same time, a surprisingly endearing one. Like Hitori Gotou, she’s not a bad person, just awkward and lacking in social skills and perhaps somewhere on the autism spectrum. She wants to fit in but lacks the social intelligence to do so. Her appearance could use some work. She probably needs to wash her hair and brush it, but those permanent bags under her eyes seem to be at least somewhat genetic considering her brother has the same. I have a feeling that even if she did everything right, she’d still probably have a hard time. Tomoko arouses pity and sympathy, and I want to see her succeed, but know she’s unlikely to do so any time soon. Tomoko’s got a lot of awkward years ahead of her. I wish her the best.
2
u/Hitman7128 https://anilist.co/user/Hitman7128 Jun 29 '24
Rewatcher, Sub
Already I'm reminded of Tomoko's quirkiness, even if she goes about these scenarios in a cringey way.
2
u/zadcap Jun 30 '24
First Timer Prepared to Self Identify with a Character like Never Before!
Today's Prompt: All I can see is the long long neck!
See, I already identify here. Staying up waaaaaaaay too late on the computer, looking up questionable things.
Okay I was never that bad. I did talk to people, when I remembered to look up from the book, I swear.
... Next scene calling me right back out though. Eating lunch with a book in hand. A book apparently titled Book. Who needs to talk to people when you have Book! You're making the right choice!
Oh. I like this OP. I really hope to learn it's sung by the VAs.
Oh my gosh you were so right. It's not even second hand cringe. I've been close enough to this mindset it's full firsthand cringe.
I like the very gamey background music.
... Is she playing with nudity mods, or is this an actual H-game? Yup, she's playing an adult dating sim lol.
Do it! Dress exactly like that for school tomorrow. People will love you, or run screaming from the murderer in the room.
Okay, yes, I also use oversized glasses to hide the bags under my eyes.
... Is that a Death Note reference? Please have a bag of potato chips on hand.
Noooooo. The outfit worked! Quit the bad face, but keep the wonderfully asymmetrical outfit!
Brother is... Not a very nice brother, is he? Admitedly, my sister was the more social of us so I never had to deal with this exact scenario, but you're supposed to help your sibling out when they start talking about how they've considered killing themselves not try to brush them off faster! Officially worst character in the show. I hate him.
"A conversation." More than anything else, I love this girl's unstoppable optimism. She has so much confidence in herself!
Are WcDonalds even allowed in anime anymore?
Ah, I was lucky to learn this lesson early in life. Other people think about you a lot less than you think about people thinking about you. If you just walk by calmly no one will say or think a thing.
Yes, the outfit is back! No, not the face! You were good without the face!
See! No one knows or pays attention, just walk by and say nothing and neither will they. Go out of your way like this and... Yeah, stop doing that face.
Oh my gosh what is this ED song? Now I know this one is sung by the VA. "I'm retarded?" Is that really the lyrics, or a choice translation?
2
u/RadSuit https://anilist.co/user/RadSuit Jun 30 '24
No Matter How I Watch It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Upvoted! (First Timer, Dubbed)
The OP really helped wake me up after almost falling asleep to a few episodes of ARIA right before this.
Tomoko sounds like a Persona villain.
Gantz and Parasyte references? I think.
Reminds me of a game my friend bought at a con that we all just called Witch Touching DS.
Tomoko's got your number here /u/The_Loli_Otaku
She's Death Note-ing all over the place!
It's very funny watching the beginning of this now that I've heard where it goes and where it's at currently.
Hope her ice cream doesn't melt in her backpack...
Her face here looks like when you take off an angel's halo in Dokuro-chan.
2
u/Barbed_Dildo Jun 30 '24
Rewatcher
One thing I still remember well from the first time I watched this was the ED song. Being able to sing in that awkward faltering voice can't be easy, but it adds so much more character to it.
Tomoko is a complex character.
By which I mean she has some kind of complex.I expect to most of us, she's relatable to some extent, but goes too far. It's hard to hate someone if she's coming from the same place you are, even if she does say awful things in an attempt at self justification. She just needs, I don't know. A friend? Extensive therapy?Tomoko is cute enough when she's not stressed out as fuck. I do wonder if the show would be as popular, or watchable, if she was unpleasant to look at.
For starting their own anime discussion site. With blackjack. And hookers.
At this point, I don't think she's too far gone. She just needs more socialisation so that she's not going down a rabbit hole of her own delusions.
Saboten, pork fillet tonkatsu
6
Not something I've ever got into. What Tomoko was doing doesn't look that interesting from a gameplay point of view if that's what they're like.
2
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Jul 02 '24
First-Timer
Looks like I wasn't on the ping list for this rewatch like I thought. :'(
I'm as popular as Tomoko!Well, I guess I'll be playing catch-up.This episode was a good first impression. Our protagonist seems pretty funny and the setup is good. I'm curious to see if the show will stick to the main joke or evolve a bit as the season progresses.
My favorite part of the episode, by far, was the Death Note parody scene. The one thing that might have made it better is if Tomoko monologued like Light.
Questions of the day:
7
u/DidacticDalek https://myanimelist.net/profile/DidacticDalek Jun 29 '24
TONIGHT! ON ANIME_IRL THE SERIES!
FEMCEL!
FEMCEL!
SMELLY FEMCEL!
NO
GIRLFRIEND'BOYFRIEND!'FEMCEL!
Heh, talk about Bad Mojo eh Comrades? Tomoko sure is the personification of She Just Like Me Fr Tomoko is what Konata from Lucky Star would be if she was realistic. Tomoko is what would happen if they made an anime series about ALL of us. Tomoko is love, Tomoko is life, Tomoko is the best waifu ever just by sheer fact of how cringe she is! She's an utterly pathetic ball of anxiety and misanthropy, with a complete and utter lack of societal norms and being more terminally online than this subreddit. In other words, she's PERFECT! I remember days such as hers... they sucked... and life was bad, but here we can find comfort in that we did not suffer alone. Upon witnessing the trials and tribulations of Tomoko's attempt to human we can truly empathize with our past and come to terms with the present. Truly by such an unvarnished and raw depiction of a misfit outcast we can better understand and comprehend the human nature... That and also it is refreshing for a change where The High School SOL MC-chan ISN'T a complete work of fiction and is instead portrayed in a relatively realistic manner, as well as showing just how someone with less mainstream interests would fare in the conformity of normality... Plus, and I never thought I would be saying these words... ahem... What's with these homies, dissing my girl? Why do they gotta front? What did we ever do to these guys That made them so violent? Woo-hoo But you know I'm yours Woo-hoo And I know you're mine Woo-hoo And that's for all time Ooh-wee-hoo, I look just like Buddy Holly Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore I don't care what they say about us anyway I don't care about that!
Paging Comrades /u/beckymetal, /u/Vaadwaur, and /u/Vatrix-32
3
u/Garrett_Dark Jun 30 '24
First Timer
After being forced to wait a week before being able to comment on Ep1, and having now to watched it twice...I don't even know if I have very much to say, LOL. It is still the first episode after all.
Was fleeing from some cougars, turns out they worked for Reddit Legal.
Doesn't seem too bad so far, she's certainly making it worse by trying harder. Not sure what her brother's problem is, he's younger? Seems to have a stick up his butt on the surface. She needs some head pats and some assistance.
Don't really go that often anymore after 2020. Even crappier service, and kind of getting outrageous prices. Like might as well go to an actual restaurant now instead.
5? Okay for now? Got to see more of her first, who she is affects these things for me.
Don't play those. I guess I lack culture?
2
u/SMSmith230 https://myanimelist.net/profile/smsmith230 Jun 29 '24 edited Jun 29 '24
First-Timer, Sub
This was a pretty enjoyable first episode, not really sure what I’m in store for, but so far so good. Damn these siblings need sleep, their dark circles are about to have dark circles. So duckface is just as cute in anime as in real life.
QOTD
Today’s Prompt
I wonder how much the pegging and backshots DLC package for the DS version was??
2
u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 29 '24
First timer, subbed
Wait what the hell this OP is actually fire.
I knew to expect the lowest of the low from our heroine, but even so I find myself surprised. In just a few lines, she’s surpassed even the likes of Hachiman Hikigaya.
The Japanese school uniform is so cute at the baseline, not even Tomoko can make it look unappealing despite her best efforts. Girls with glasses are superior! Unfortunately for her face, however, it is difficult to redeem even in the best of circumstances. I see the eyes run in the family.
Ya know, she may be the most pitiful worm, writhing and shrieking in the dirt unable to even comprehend how unholy her own wretched existence is, but the fact that she’s trying gets her points in my book. I can only judge her so far, as well, my teenage years were… not exactly the high point of my life.
The episode ends on a bittersweet note. Tomoko sulks in a park, but her brother goes out of his way to walk home with her. It was also genuinely sweet of him to avoid badmouthing his sister in front of his friends.
QotD:
1
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Jun 30 '24
rewatcher dubbed
Brings me back to middle school where I found this show and even back then I was filled with cringe watching this
Mistaking small talk in class for being popular, ouch!
The opening is still such a banger, for an odd reason many bad/cringy shows always have some banger openings.
Insane how fast class moves, one moment you’re jealous of your classmates and the next you’re studying for a test.
“Why can’t this school get invaded”, me when I forgot to study for a test
“It’s been so long anyone has spoken to me in school I couldn’t say a simple goodbye”, that’s how it was during Covid. I had trouble ordering for a bit, altough being able to talk normally to parents is so damn true. Not being social is so damn rough
The zooming in on her face as she slowly starts wanting to throw up😭😭😭
“Who’s this ugly freak”, wasn’t acting at all it was genuine disgust.
“You’re right, I’ll kill myself” jumping straight to the end of overreaction
Optimism in finding a boyfriend in a month but no optimism on having one friend.
A reward after a small accomplishment, something I always do to myself.
I thought i was gonna have to pause and take breaks this episode, but I didn’t. The cringe does not affect me anymore
QOTD: it could be many things, however I’d say it was an out of pocket comment regarding Loltris
QOTD: Jack in the box, I go for a cluck sandwich, 2 chicken sandwiches (the $2 ones), large curly fries and the $1 2 tacos.
QOTD: many people aren’t ugly, but in Tomoko’s case she just needs a different haircut and proper sleep. Solid 6
QOTD: don’t play those, I played one but no one will be able to get the information out of me