LogFAQs > #899239577

63. WataMote (2013)
Roba (3/5)


Few shows manage to accomplish everything they set out to do. WataMote is one of them. It's a show about the daily life of Tomoko, a girl who suffers from severe social anxiety, which leads to some of the most uncomfortable scenes I've ever witnessed.

Everything Tomoko does is done with the intention of becoming more popular, or seeming cooler than she actually is. In reality, she's a dim, reclusive, mean-spirited girl who you still want to see come out on top at some point. And when it seems something good is about to happen to her, she fudges it at the last second by being extremely weird, or she just doesn't notice kindness shown toward her. It's a bit of a miserable show, to be honest, but it works well. If a character is meant to be mocked for their misfortune, it's only really ever funny when they bring it upon themselves. There's nothing fun about watching someone go through misery just because they're unlucky. But Tomoko isn't just out of touch and shitty, she's all that through her own volition, and that's why it can be funny to see her lose over and over and over again. She isn't really a likable character, she's an extreme edition of a typical anime-watching nerd, meant to be somewhat relateable, but not to the extent where anything is actually hitting close to home. This is a comedy, after all.

I think it ended in a good spot too. I don't think I could watch much more than 13 episodes of the show, and it made sure to stick to it's guns, never delving into anything other than psychological torture porn. Some people might be disappointed that Tomoko never gets a win, but I think that's fine. The show was never meant to be uplifting. It's definitely not for everyone, and there are way funnier shows out there, but WataMote does do some pretty cool things.
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