No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!
No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! | |
私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! (Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!) | |
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Genre | Comedy, slice of life[1] |
Manga | |
Written by | Nico Tanigawa |
Published by | Square Enix |
English publisher | |
Magazine | GanGan Comics Online |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | August 4, 2011 – present |
Volumes | 7 |
Manga | |
Watashi no Tomodachi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui. | |
Written by | Nico Tanigawa |
Published by | Square Enix |
Magazine | Gangan Joker |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | January 22, 2013 – present |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Shin Ōnuma |
Written by | Takao Yoshioka |
Music by | Sadesper Record |
Studio | Silver Link |
Licensed by | |
Original network | TV Tokyo, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, AT-X |
Original run | July 8, 2013 – September 23, 2013 |
Episodes | 12[2] |
No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys' Fault I’m Not Popular! (私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!, Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!), commonly referred to as WataMote (ワタモテ), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nico Tanigawa (谷川 ニコ). It began serialization on Square Enix's Gangan Comics Online service from August 4, 2011 and is published by Yen Press in North America. A 4-panel spin-off manga began serialization in Gangan Joker from January 22, 2013. A television anime adaptation by Silver Link aired in Japan between July and September 2013. The anime adaption received critical acclaim, particularly for the main character and her voice actress, but was also controversial in its treatment of social anxiety.
Plot
Fifteen-year-old Tomoko Kuroki believed that she would become popular upon entering high school because she'd become well-versed in the world of otome games. In reality, she finds that she has become an unsociable loner and she is forced to take a long hard look at herself for the first time in years. The story follows Tomoko as she attempts to improve her social status as she progresses through high school.
Characters
- Tomoko Kuroki (黒木 智子, Kuroki Tomoko)
- Voiced by: Izumi Kitta (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)[3]
- The heroine of the series, who is often depicted as desperate, lonely and often deranged, going to various lengths to try and be more popular with others. She has a grim outlook on life and often has heavy bags under her eyes. She is also rather perverted at times, often imagining dubious situations with boys or lusting after her friend, Yū.
- Tomoki Kuroki (黒木 智貴, Kuroki Tomoki)
- Voiced by: Yuichi Nakamura (Japanese); David Matranga (English)
- Tomoko's younger brother, a year younger than her, who is often bewildered by Tomoko's odd behaviour. Because he is a popular and talented soccer player, Tomoko occasionally comes to him for advice. He later enters the same high school as Tomoko.
- Yū Naruse (成瀬 優, Naruse Yū)
- Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese); Emily Neves (English)
- Tomoko's best friend in middle school, often referred to as Yū-chan (ゆうちゃん) by Tomoko, whom she nicknames Mokocchi (もこっち). Initially a dorky looking girl, Yū changed her appearance to have prettier dyed hair upon entering high school, but still enjoys hobbies such as anime and regards Tomoko as her best friend. She has a boyfriend, which often disheartens Tomoko. She is the protagonist of the 4koma spin-off manga.
- Kī (きーちゃん, Kī-chan)
- Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese); Juliet Simmons (English)
- Tomoko's cousin, who is a first year student in middle school. At first she looks up to Tomoko as her big sister, but her view of Tomoko soon changes upon realising that the things Tomoko boasted to her about were all lies.
- Tomoko's mother (智子の母親, Tomoko no Hahaoya)
- Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu (Japanese); Shelley Calene-Black (English)
- Tomoko and Tomoki's mother. She is often worried about her daughter's strange behaviour.
- Megumi Imae (今江 恵美, Imae Megumi)
- Voiced by: Ai Nonaka (Japanese); Juliet Simmons (English)
- The student council president at Tomoko's school, a year older than Tomoko. She is quite friendly towards Tomoko.
- Ogino (荻野)
- Voiced by: Sanae Nakata (Japanese); Beth Lazarou (English)
- A PE teacher and Tomoko's homeroom teacher during her second year.
- Hina Nemoto (根元 陽菜, Nemoto Hina)
- Voiced by: Yūko Kurose (Japanese); Margaret McDonald (English)
- Tomoko's classmate, who occasionally talks with her during their second year.
- Kotomi Komiyama (小宮山 琴美, Komiyama Kotomi)
- Voiced by: Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese)
- Tomoko and Yū's classmate in middle school, who first appears in the spin-off manga. She and Tomoko do not like each other very much and are usually forced to get along with each other when Yū is around. She later appears in the main series, where she is revealed to have gone to the same high school as Tomoko, though Tomoko had more or less completely forgotten about her by then. She has a crush on Tomoki, but Tomoko had more or less squandered her chances of being with him.
Media
Manga
Written by Nico Tanigawa, the series began serialization on Square Enix's Gangan Comics Online service from August 4, 2011. The first tankōbon volume was released on January 21, 2012, with 5 volumes and an Official Fan Book released as of September 21, 2013.[4][5][6] An anthology was released on June 22, 2013.[7][needs update] The second volume, released on May 22, 2012, ranked #10 in the Oricon charts in its opening week.[8] As of July 2013, the series has printed over 1.5 million copies.[9] The manga gained popularity overseas after fan translations of the series were posted on the English speaking imageboard 4chan, the Western equivalent of Japan's Futaba Channel.[10] Yen Press has licensed the manga in North America and the UK and began releasing the series from October 29, 2013.[1][11] A spin-off 4-panel manga series, Watashi no Tomodachi ga Motenai no wa Dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui. (私の友達がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い。, lit. No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault My Friend's Not Popular.), known as TomoMote (トモモテ) for short, launched in Square Enix's Gangan Joker magazine from January 22, 2013.[12]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
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1 | January 21, 2012[13] | 978-4757534803 | October 29, 2013[14] | 978-0316243162 |
2 | May 22, 2012[15] | 978-4757535978 | January 21, 2014[16] | 978-0316322041 |
3 | December 22, 2012[17] | 978-4757538184 | April 22, 2014[18] | 978-0316322058 |
4 | June 22, 2013[19] | 978-4757539808 | July 22, 2014[20] | 978-0316376747 |
5 | September 21, 2013[21] | 978-4757540644 | October 28, 2014[22] | 978-0316336093 |
6 | March 22, 2014[23] | 978-4757540255 | January 20, 2015[24] | 978-0316259415 |
7 | October 22, 2014[23] | 978-4757541214 | — | — |
Anime
A television anime adaptation of the manga by Silver Link aired in Japan between July 8 and September 23, 2013 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll.[25][26] The series is directed by Shin Oonuma and written by Takao Yoshioka, with character design by Hideki Furukawa.[27] An original video animation episode was released with the seventh manga volume on October 22, 2014.[28] Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America and released it on Blu-ray and DVD on August 26, 2014.[29]
The opening theme is "Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!" (私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!, "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!") by Konomi Suzuki and Kiba of Akiba, which reached #43 on the Japan Hot 100.[30] The main ending theme, featured in all but four episodes, is "Dō Kangaetemo Watashi wa Warukunai" (どう考えても私は悪くない, "No Matter How I Look At It, It's Not My Fault") by Izumi Kitta.[31] It charted at #79 in Japan.[30] The ending themes for episodes two and five are "Musō Renka" (夢想恋歌, Dream Love Song) and "Yoru no Tobari yo Sayōnara" (夜のとばりよ さようなら, Farewell, Veil of Darkness) respectively, both performed by Velvet,Kodhy. The ending theme for episode six is "Natsu Matsuri" (夏祭り, Summer Festival) by Utsu-P & Toka Minatsuki, featuring vocals by Hatsune Miku (a cover of the original 1990 hit song by Jitterin' Jinn). The ending theme for episode eleven in "Sokora no Chaku-Gurumi no Fūsen to Watashi" (そこらの着ぐるみの風船と私, Me and the Balloon I Got from the Costumed Person) by Velvet,Kodhy and µ.
Episode list
No. | Title | Original airdate |
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Reception
WataMote has been the subject of much discussion and debate,[32] particularly in its treatment of social anxiety and the main character Tomoko. Many have debated if the series is a comedy or a study of neurosis with many varying opinions on whether the subject matter is supposed to be humorous or not. Still, the anime adaptation has been highly praised by most websites,[33][34][35] with much praise directed towards the main character Tomoko along with Izumi Kitta's portrayal of her. Among the most praised aspects of the series, the opening title sequence has received unanimous praise for its opening song, visuals, and how well it represents Tomoko's loneliness, frustration, and intense social anxiety.
References
- ^ a b "Yen Press Adds Inu × Boku SS, WataMote, Wolf Children, Kingdom Hearts Manga". Anime News Network. March 30, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ Luster, Joseph (July 7, 2013). "Sentai Filmworks Adds "Watamote" and "Sunday Without God" Anime". Crunchyroll.
- ^ Beveridge, Chris (2014-07-04). "Monica Rial Confirms Watamote Role, Beyatches". The Fandom Post.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(1) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! (5) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! 公式ファンブック (喪) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! アンソロジー (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, May 21-27". Anime News Network. May 30, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "Watamote Manga Has 1.5 Million Copies in Print". Anime News Network. July 19, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ "4Chan Used to Promote a Japanese Manga (Well, Sorta)". Kotaku. January 30, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ^ "WataMote 4-Panel Spinoff Manga Series Launches". Anime News Network. January 23, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(1) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(2) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 2". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(3) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 3". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(4) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 4". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(5) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 5". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ a b "私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!(6) (ガンガンコミックスONLINE)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2014-05-05. Cite error: The named reference "wata6" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!, Vol. 6". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
- ^ "WataMote Anime's 1st Promo With Izumi Kitta's Song Streamed". Anime News Network. June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ^ "Crunchyroll Adds "SILVER SPOON", "The World God Only Knows: Goddesses" and "WATAMOTE" Anime to Streaming Lineup". Retrieved 6 July 2013.
- ^ "Yūichi Nakamura, Kana Hanazawa Join WataMote Anime's Cast". Anime News Network. June 6, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ^ "WataMote: No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! Manga Listed with Anime DVD". Anime News Network. September 5, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ "Sentai Filmworks Licenses WataMote Anime". Anime News Network. July 7, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ a b Billboard Japan Hot 100 (in Japanese; retrieved September 14, 2013)
- ^ "Retailer: Izumi Kitta to Star in WataMote TV Anime". Anime News Network. June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ^ "No Matter How I Look At It, It's Just A Podcast - ANNCast". Anime News Network. 2013-10-11. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "WATAMOTE - Review". Anime News Network. 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - WataMote". Themanime.org. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
- ^ "ANIME REVIEW "WataMote" Walks The Line Between Funny & Disturbing". EGMNOW. 2013-08-26. Retrieved 2014-01-18.
External links
- Manga series
- 2011 manga
- 2013 manga
- 2013 anime television series debuts
- 2013 anime television series
- Comedy anime and manga
- Manga published by Gangan Comics
- Shōnen manga
- Sentai Filmworks
- Silver Link
- Slice of life anime and manga
- TV Tokyo shows
- Yen Press titles
- Anime series based on manga
- 2013 Japanese television series endings
- Japanese webcomics
- Webcomics in print