tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55171099126854899502024-03-13T21:50:12.071-05:00No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular!A guide to the world of Tomoko KurokiAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-15902297530650252102016-04-22T00:55:00.001-05:002016-04-22T06:14:52.291-05:00Chapter 94: Soccer sucker succorWorld Three has translated the latest chapter, <a href="http://www.slide.world-three.org/read/its_not_my_fault_that_im_not_popular/en/0/94/page/1">Mourning 94: Because I'm Not Popular, My Brother Will Play Soccer</a>. Following are spoilers.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Support WataMote: Read the new chapter online, and be sure to buy Volume 8 from Yen Press, on sale now! Volume 9 is still only available in Japanese, and the current chapter will be in, I think, Volume 10.</i></blockquote>
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Series creative duo Nico Tanigawa are on a roll, scoring a direct hit with just about every chapter, lately. This time is no exception.<br />
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Only now we're getting a much needed shot of testosterone, after a series of chapters featuring some aspect of Tomoko's relations with other girls.<br />
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To review:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Chapter 89: Frenemy Kotomi falls asleep in Tomo-kun's bed</li>
<li>Chapter 90: Popular friend Hina is outed as a closet otaku by tactless teacher Ogino</li>
<li>Chapter 91: Confused rival Akari makes a desperate bid for Tomo-kun's affections</li>
<li>Chapter 92: Bully Yoshida forces Tomoko into a death match with a UFO catcher</li>
<li>Chapter 93: Basket-case Ucchi finally discovers Tomoko together with Yuu-chan</li>
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This chapter returns to Tomoko's most important relationship since the series inception, her ongoing love/hate with Tomo-kun. (I use the form Tomo-kun in order to avoid confusion; when talking about them both at once, I'm prone to mistyping Tomoko for Tomoki and vice-versa.)<br />
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We join Tomo-kun taking part in a local prelimary round of a national soccer competition. Hot Guy Senpai from the athletic meet makes an appearance (Tomo-kun's upperclassman friend who was happy to help Tomoko out in the borrowing race).<br />
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Tomo-kun's game is peppered with thoughts of Tomoko, and thinking about the things she does to him spurs him on to wilder, more aggressive gameplay.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-69iHKrbzvsLwDriB0bsF_GBMZWkkV4r9pBK_Agvit5RUtIxoP1W7vxhVBT2QtJ7DO2B7JSbAeAvyMwiS8bave0ceG6WKu04hm_GmlZQ36LdzQE8K5d7EKvtG8HrmdlOz2EsBTEc_54b/s1600/an-entire-lemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-69iHKrbzvsLwDriB0bsF_GBMZWkkV4r9pBK_Agvit5RUtIxoP1W7vxhVBT2QtJ7DO2B7JSbAeAvyMwiS8bave0ceG6WKu04hm_GmlZQ36LdzQE8K5d7EKvtG8HrmdlOz2EsBTEc_54b/s1600/an-entire-lemon.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomo-kun suddenly recalls his sister squeezing an <i>entire lemon</i> on his dinner</td></tr>
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There's a callback to the earlier Christmas chapter (Special Chapter #4) when Tomoko discovered the gag gift one of Tomo-kun's joker friends left in his room, a porn DVD called <i>My Older Sister in Black Tights</i>. Tomo-kun walks in on Tomoko dressing, and she accuses him of being a pervert trying to peek at her while putting on her tights for real.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFX0RymoCTVfFuC0OaSP-6qGoWSf3ynxTvNX4d3bCjrqUDHonPznXzEOJr3cHH6BJTFnVI_CzgqgQsM2ey9KMWsW4BcCOxkhFQtnwCPPBhwJSf9nTl4GLPV1yX8l7pb2qhLNa9ygKA7Cr/s1600/older-sister-in-tights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFX0RymoCTVfFuC0OaSP-6qGoWSf3ynxTvNX4d3bCjrqUDHonPznXzEOJr3cHH6BJTFnVI_CzgqgQsM2ey9KMWsW4BcCOxkhFQtnwCPPBhwJSf9nTl4GLPV1yX8l7pb2qhLNa9ygKA7Cr/s1600/older-sister-in-tights.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's always rich to hear Tomoko accuse other people of being perverts</td></tr>
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There's a callback to the more recent chapter (91, listed above) when Akari mistakenly blurted out that she wanted to see Tomo-kun's dick. She did this because she misread Tomoko's relationship with her brother, along with her accusation that her brother was hiding a "boner". Tomoko has apparently taken to calling Akari "dicky-chan" or "penis-chan" (depending on your translation).<br />
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In the end, a surprisingly sweet moment, or at least what passes for a sweet moment in Tomoko Kuroki's world, mixed in with some typical Kuroki family failure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCQUTiS-NGwv-ntki0l5mB8Tc0ScR27isjtVOW-QU4YaDRLVurfiOiXRB3fTAAbRhI2KfVWKcoIl_SA43NEusVEZQ6oGiYKUouJxBWIbexZMRh-qshBcWypQhr3k26ce-uBM0MM7qPI1_/s1600/kuroki-compassion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCQUTiS-NGwv-ntki0l5mB8Tc0ScR27isjtVOW-QU4YaDRLVurfiOiXRB3fTAAbRhI2KfVWKcoIl_SA43NEusVEZQ6oGiYKUouJxBWIbexZMRh-qshBcWypQhr3k26ce-uBM0MM7qPI1_/s1600/kuroki-compassion.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sympathy from the devil</td></tr>
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It's worth noting, maybe, that Tomoko generally takes pleasure in the misfortunes of others, but not her brother. She takes out her frustrations on him the rest of the time because he is popular and successful, but she doesn't wish ill on him, and feels bad whenever she feels he may be as bad off as her.<br />
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<i>Oops, it has been pointed out that I have misinterpreted the meaning of the final scene. I assumed this took place after Tomo-kun lost the game, but looking again, it is clearly another flashback. So this is Tomoko's idea of being nice to her brother in between making his life miserable.<br /><br />However, this clearly doesn't rob him of his rage-powered strength. The wild kick he made that lost the game is actually in keeping with the fouls he committed on the way there. My interpretation, in any case, is that Tomoko's overall infuriating nature makes him more aggressive, but also causes him to lose focus.</i><br />
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<i>We know from an earlier 'what if' sequence that a sweet, attentive Tomoko would actually generate MORE Tomo-kun rage than the usual "garbage sister".</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvLNpUIRMbCsUM9_xoKY2awmMN79CMu7XPOIm-kgWeVSHtOQm6vh-tTnvo4okIIgYbEVL3vCqdwuS_Wy7SC1p7EsuuJ1JfqmKgGSWmGBKP3mp0ikJiX8lEUprCANL1txiLjEkfSdb-nLa/s1600/sweet-tomoko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvLNpUIRMbCsUM9_xoKY2awmMN79CMu7XPOIm-kgWeVSHtOQm6vh-tTnvo4okIIgYbEVL3vCqdwuS_Wy7SC1p7EsuuJ1JfqmKgGSWmGBKP3mp0ikJiX8lEUprCANL1txiLjEkfSdb-nLa/s320/sweet-tomoko.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get a grip, Tomo-kun!</td></tr>
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apart from everything else, only one glossary term, I think: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaage">karaage</a>, essentially deep-fried chicken or seafood.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="note-on-tights">
An additional note on tights</a></h4>
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Apparently we also have to explain why Tomoko looks so strange while putting on her tights. What in all that is holy are her arms doing in there?!! Let's take a look at the unfortunate moment that Tomo-kun walks in on his sister while she's dressing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInq0lrM3zpF_ywSdhv3aFA2DHuMIVvq9hakqkCIXjVP6seTZ9e1fg18GuOD8C7VPV8T8E1gDFXRraK0hliy4JR5CFFVt1tp96B1GbNucxW5RIRVWGNiw6fprulpKfGDM7yo2k6VT7ipMl/s1600/tomoko-dressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInq0lrM3zpF_ywSdhv3aFA2DHuMIVvq9hakqkCIXjVP6seTZ9e1fg18GuOD8C7VPV8T8E1gDFXRraK0hliy4JR5CFFVt1tp96B1GbNucxW5RIRVWGNiw6fprulpKfGDM7yo2k6VT7ipMl/s1600/tomoko-dressing.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suddenly tights aren't as sexy as you imagined</td></tr>
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Some readers simply leap to the conclusion that it's just our Mokocchi being awkward and weird again. But, no, apparently this is how it works. Take a look at the following helpful infographic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRreJNjA7NaMUWsegyLMsT7-pa_uk9WjYr6xW-x5WvE0eTGl_XiMz30G9snss12Efa1q9jkUTmKqv5uJJusBW_pG_ujFVStAcdsOH3uWl4J-aNAVuTRgo4jPwaJkZ-_BKDeCWhVRqoBSWv/s1600/how-to.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRreJNjA7NaMUWsegyLMsT7-pa_uk9WjYr6xW-x5WvE0eTGl_XiMz30G9snss12Efa1q9jkUTmKqv5uJJusBW_pG_ujFVStAcdsOH3uWl4J-aNAVuTRgo4jPwaJkZ-_BKDeCWhVRqoBSWv/s1600/how-to.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OK, it still looks pretty weird, but who are we to argue with an infographic?</td></tr>
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Read more about why <a href="http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/04/say-it-isnt-so-illustrator-spills-the-beans-on-how-women-put-on-tights/">here</a>. I'm not going to pretend to understand, nor do I need to, because I will never wear such things. I simply trust that the illustrator of WataMote -- who is a woman, herself, after all -- probably knows more about these things than I do.<br />
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Hope this clears things up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-28915847153462424942016-03-25T08:01:00.001-05:002016-04-21T19:25:56.823-05:00Volume 9 on sale in JapanNow on sale in Japan: Volume 9 of <i>WataMote</i>, as well as Volume 3 of Nico Tanigawa's recently concluded series, <i>Number Girl</i>.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="ja" dir="ltr">色々手に入れた <a href="https://t.co/jfqT2oAHuS">pic.twitter.com/jfqT2oAHuS</a></p>— トバト(海に住む哺乳類) (@tobato_) <a href="https://twitter.com/tobato_/status/713292388270084096">March 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-26032947507150078772016-03-17T23:28:00.001-05:002016-03-17T23:28:42.734-05:00WataMote Special #6 posted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The latest installment of WataMote is a special for the upcoming Chiba Lotte Marines collaboration, and has been posted at Mokocchi's official home on the web, <a href="http://www.ganganonline.com/comic/watashiga/">Gangan Online</a>. In Japanese, of course. The World Three <a href="http://www.slide.world-three.org/read/its_not_my_fault_that_im_not_popular/en/0/93/1/page/1">translation in English</a> is also available.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTk7PvbNFOTNjo-JmR15ZiX6baD6mlD7fIFLbOv4ppQK-VkdJdy9a469xcLFnOuOoep3A6vnzVBiBMZa9onhsWrJMZ2svWq2B58X0m4XV9m0xWY2kd3IRc7G0WM7KKROVbdPrMygFDiWys/s1600/watamote-special-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTk7PvbNFOTNjo-JmR15ZiX6baD6mlD7fIFLbOv4ppQK-VkdJdy9a469xcLFnOuOoep3A6vnzVBiBMZa9onhsWrJMZ2svWq2B58X0m4XV9m0xWY2kd3IRc7G0WM7KKROVbdPrMygFDiWys/s1600/watamote-special-06.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mokocchi and Yuu-chan tag along with baseball super-fan Komiyama.</td></tr>
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As is sometimes the case with localized humor, the ending might be a bit confusing if you don't know the background, so we'll post some helpful info in the <a href="http://nomatterhowilookatit.blogspot.com/search/label/chapter%20notes">chapter notes</a> presently.<br />
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A calendar note--earlier, in the schedule, I identified this episode as Chapter 94. That was incorrect; this is Special #6, and Chapter 94 should arrive next month. Sorry 'bout that! As far as I know, there's no way to know ahead of time if the next installment is a normal chapter or a special, so I'll likely make this mistake again in the future. As they say on the internet these days: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-49922840923672605352016-03-16T09:40:00.003-05:002016-03-16T09:40:34.685-05:00Video presentation of Chapter 72Tomoko Kuroki arrives in Kyoto and rooms with her new comrades, Yuri, Yoshida, and Ucchi. This is the big school trip that Tomoko feared back in her first year (even in the anime), and it will turn out that her life does change some because of it.
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The School Trip volume, Volume 8, is available next week! Get it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-13174384279499232992016-03-15T22:23:00.002-05:002016-03-15T22:23:27.563-05:00Kitta Izumi officially joins the baseball partyWhen the WataMote x Chiba Lotte Marines collaboration was first announced, Kitta Izumi tweeted right away that she planned to go. Not only is she the voice of Tomoko Kuroki, but is also a former Chiba Lotte Marines cheerleader.<br />
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Now her participation has been made official. She'll be hosting some talk shows, and taking part in an autograph session.<br />
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The information has been <a href="http://eplus.jp/sys/web/sports/watamote/index.html">posted in Japanese</a>, and<a href="https://twitter.com/mokonymous/status/709938670438977536"> clarified by our friend Mokonymous</a>.<br />
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Maybe what I suggested will also occur to them,which is to have Kitta throw the ceremonial pitch. Preferably while wearing Tomoko's school uniform! All Osomatsu had at their baseball game was some random guy wearing a big Iyami head.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-54028269477780036742016-03-12T16:40:00.003-06:002016-03-12T16:44:32.208-06:00Video presentation of Chapter 71<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tomoko Kuroki heads out on board the bullet train for the big class trip to Kyoto. It's the perfect opportunity for a loner to socialize with the other students... right?</div>
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From Volume 8 of <i>No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular</i>, available everywhere from Yen Press in English, this March 22.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-56262558600715114162016-03-10T16:20:00.002-06:002016-03-10T16:20:50.171-06:00Video presentation of Chapter 69In which Tomoko Kuroki joins a group for the big school trip. Volume 8 in English is coming soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-79402463544129763182016-03-08T21:56:00.000-06:002016-03-08T21:56:58.927-06:00Monica Rial scheduled for Orlando MegaConMonica Rial, Tomoko's American voice, is slated to be at the <a href="http://megaconvention.com/anime-guests/monica-rial/">ginormous MegaCon</a> in Orlando, Florida in May. Other guests will include Adam West and Burt Ward, Stan Lee, and a bunch of the original Star Trek crew (including Captain Kirk himself).<br />
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She is still slated for <a href="http://www.animeboston.com/guests/guest_info/69">Anime Boston</a> later this month.<br />
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Rial is known as one of the most prolific voice actors in the US, and proudly brags that she's been "keeping child actors out of work since the 90's." For the WataMote anime, she did not try to copy Kitta Izumi's voice, but rather summoned up a sort of American version that perfectly fit Tomoko's various swings, from her stuttering shyness to her mean streak.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com09800 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, USA28.4247439 -81.46931920000002928.4177619 -81.479404200000033 28.4317259 -81.459234200000026tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-36017441672453794052016-03-08T19:14:00.000-06:002016-03-08T19:17:49.260-06:00Akari Iguchi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Akari Iguchi initially seems to be a one-off character, but later becomes an important supporting player.</div>
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She first shows up at the Kuroki household in Chapter 25, which becomes part of episode 3 of the anime, using a handout as a pretext to visit Tomo-kun (Tomoko's brother) at home while he's sick. However, he's sleeping so she postpones seeing him until he's better. Story-wise, her only purpose here is to make Tomoko miserable, because nobody ever comes to see her.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoXVbTB1d4U8r9gyMh-iWl-ZylYGpr6uChzgbIXPTSvRsbbESbzSR6zR1woNA7hT6dD8jvk4mpSF-5JlTM7rS9vDbfnh8xog0-8-qcuR4YPPdPOgx9Nh6j4ojoK2lKGm0m7YnjJgYhaTF/s1600/akari-episode-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoXVbTB1d4U8r9gyMh-iWl-ZylYGpr6uChzgbIXPTSvRsbbESbzSR6zR1woNA7hT6dD8jvk4mpSF-5JlTM7rS9vDbfnh8xog0-8-qcuR4YPPdPOgx9Nh6j4ojoK2lKGm0m7YnjJgYhaTF/s1600/akari-episode-3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Akari (far right) visits the Kuroki household</td></tr>
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Later in the manga, we see her a few times in the background, usually trying to get up the courage to talk to Tomo-kun. Generally, she's with the same friend who is always trying to encourage her. But Akari seems to be having trouble making her feelings known, and tends to chicken out.<br />
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In Tomoko's second year, Akari and Tomo-kun both enter Makuhari high school as first year students, and they both become more important to the ongoing story.<br />
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Tomoko first sees Akari at school while spying on her brother in his homeroom. This is not a significant appearance, but Tomoko continues to be irritated by how different her brother's situation is from her own loner status. Akari is still trying to win Tomo-kun's affection, but timidly. Her friend is always there to offer advice.</div>
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Later, Akari becomes a central figure in a farcical plot development involving mistaken identities.</div>
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In Chapter 83, Akari and her usual companion happen to visit Star Turry's, the same coffee shop frequented by Yuu-chan and her middle school friends, Tomoko and Komiyama. Komiyama is unnerved when she discovers that she has a rival for Tomo-kun's affections. After meeting Komiyama in the bathroom, Akari becomes confused by Komiyama's questioning, and assumes she was mistaken in thinking the other girl (Tomoko) was Tomo-kun's sister.</div>
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Komiyama doesn't correct the error, but instead tries to gain an advantage over Akari by warning her that Tomo-kun prefers "older women".</div>
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Thereafter, when Akari sees Tomoko together with her brother, she assumes incorrectly that Tomoko is Tomo-kun's upperclassman love interest, and that her gleeful teasing of Tomo-kun is actually flirting.</div>
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The situation comes to a head in Chapter 91, when Akari bumps into Tomoko and Komiyama in the hallway and invites them both to lunch. A panicky Komiyama, aware of her dangerous situation, continues trying to cover up her lie, insisting that Akari call Tomoko "Mokocchi-senpai" in order to block Tomoko from saying her family name out loud. But the jig seems to be up when Tomoko drags her unwilling brother to the table.</div>
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The farce works, and Chapter 91 was cheered by some fans as one of the funniest chapters yet.</div>
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The situation, however, seems to be far from resolved. So we expect to see Akari again in future chapters.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-72775588986482737132016-03-08T02:12:00.000-06:002016-03-08T02:13:10.121-06:00WataMote alternatives IOne of the most frequently asked questions concerning WataMote goes something like, I've watched the anime/read the manga, what do I watch/read next?<br />
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At first, I thought I'd get away with a single page of recommendations, but then I realized that A) I talk too much, and B) I'll probably think of more recommendations to add from time to time. So instead I'll tag occasional posts as <i><a href="http://nomatterhowilookatit.blogspot.com/search/label/recommendations">recommendations</a></i>, and link the tag for people who want to browse.<br />
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I'm going to start out with two recommendations. The first is more typical, in a way. Whenever people ask about <i>WataMote</i> alternatives, people almost always reply <i>Welcome to N.H.K.</i>, because it's about a guy who's afraid to socialize. I want to mostly try to steer away from such comparisons, because simply being lonely and miserable isn't really a good summary of Tomoko Kuroki's life. Her stories are actually far more exuberant, when you watch how she schemes and plots to escape her loneliness, and she is endlessly optimistic about her chances of breaking free from her past.<br />
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In any case, Tomoko is not an isolated shut-in, although she has fantasized about following that lifestyle in order to escape adult responsibilities after high school. She is merely a lonely girl who wants to be more sociable, but has trouble overcoming her anxieties around others.<br />
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And yet I can't resist recommending a novel about a recovering loner by Haruki Murakami, partly because he and his popular books are part of Tomoko Kuroki's world, especially when she tries to impress others by showing off how she reads important literary novels. My second recommendation is a long-running TV show that at first glance might never be compared to <i>WataMote</i>, but is probably closer in tone and content than anything else you'll find.<br />
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Jump past the fold for the reviews!<br />
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Novel: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki</h2>
Haruki Murakami is an internationally acclaimed writer whose books are sometimes read by Tomoko Kuroki, although not always successfully. When reading <i>Norwegian Wood</i> at the coffee shop, she stopped when she realized that she was only getting excited by the dirty words in the sex scenes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIpYUYjLg2cZxeYH1uduQga5RPqsic0t9Vbgm9dYGdn9GDA9lZ0mC5iNkv-u-xbMdLiE-c2keYw-nhAhOYVDkh4kHZlkjHdGFVrLQbjKKbe8XcsCz3RzOPQnsREdW0oKtM09mA8POJTjS/s1600/colorless.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIpYUYjLg2cZxeYH1uduQga5RPqsic0t9Vbgm9dYGdn9GDA9lZ0mC5iNkv-u-xbMdLiE-c2keYw-nhAhOYVDkh4kHZlkjHdGFVrLQbjKKbe8XcsCz3RzOPQnsREdW0oKtM09mA8POJTjS/s200/colorless.jpg" /></a>However, the basic story of <i>Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki</i> isn't terribly complicated. We begin with a character that Tomoko could easily identify with, a loner who had very few friends in high school.</div>
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In fact, he had considered himself the fifth wheel in a group of five friends. He already had felt like the extraneous one, when the others all of a sudden shut him out, and demanded that he never speak to them again.</div>
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For a time, our young hero is suicidal, but he moves on through college and into the work force and mostly adjusts, although he remains mostly a quiet loner. He never can quite let go of the mystery of why his friends had so thoroughly and without explanation rejected him.</div>
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When he begins dating, as an adult, his girlfriend convinces him to revisit these old friends in order to unravel the mystery.</div>
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While he does eventually piece together the solution to his own questions, his investigation leads to the discovery of a crime which is in itself, unfortunately, never clearly solved. I felt bad about that, but had to remind myself that I was not in fact reading <i>Case Closed</i> or any other sort of mystery novel, and the crime was not the focus of the book.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEecrdWOHmhF_-TWpIxe5kPnanWAbiA0s3YpvSayRFctX02YomnEtVMVafEOAPRJY45Tzdx5U9nCJvbCtH5nwU13bxqaqeY_eg8FTyR3XYGy9P2D49gP0Skt_QLrT3aTngKYZRLU1xZrx/s1600/colorless-tomoko-kuroki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEecrdWOHmhF_-TWpIxe5kPnanWAbiA0s3YpvSayRFctX02YomnEtVMVafEOAPRJY45Tzdx5U9nCJvbCtH5nwU13bxqaqeY_eg8FTyR3XYGy9P2D49gP0Skt_QLrT3aTngKYZRLU1xZrx/s1600/colorless-tomoko-kuroki.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorless Tomoko Kuroki</td></tr>
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Instead, the book is about the sadness of moving through life, and losing those things that are important to us to the ravages of time. Tazaki experiences a great loss when his friends reject him, and the cause of this rejection turns out to be a girl who herself becomes frustrated at falling short of what she desires.<br />
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Along the way, the human condition becomes mythology.<br />
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Midorikawa slowly gazed around the room, and cleared his throat.<br />
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“Every person has their own color. Did you know that?” he said.<br />
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“No, I didn’t.”<br />
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“Each individual has their own unique color, which shines faintly around the contours of their body. Like a halo. Or a backlight. I’m able to see those colors clearly.”<br />
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Midorikawa poured himself another cup of sake and sipped it, leisurely savoring the taste.<br />
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“Is this ability to detect colors something you were born with?” Haida asked, dubiously.<br />
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Midorikawa shook his head. “No, it’s not innate; it’s a temporary ability. You get it in exchange for accepting imminent death...”
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Obviously this is not a comedy. If you want laughs, we move on to a TV classic...</div>
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<h2>
Television: Seinfeld</h2>
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<i>WataMote</i> technically belongs to a genre of manga called slice of life, but most SOL manga/anime have little in common with actual life, if we define life as <i>reality</i>. The popular otaku celebration <i>Lucky Star</i>, for example, is called slice of life because the girls go to high school and mostly eat chocolate cornets, talk during class, and play video games. But like much manga/anime SOL, it's a fantasy in which nothing of importance happens, no one has a personality deeper than a doorstop, and the girls are all ultra-cute and flirt with each other. <i>WataMote</i> should not be included in this group. Tomoko Kuroki watches this sort of show sometimes to waste time, but is highly critical of them, and once fantasized about such <i>moe</i> characters gossiping about which one of them has had the most plastic surgery.</div>
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Tomoko Kuroki's life has more in common with George Costanza of the long-running American sitcom, <i>Seinfeld</i>. In fact, most of its cast might have one thing or another in common with Tomoko. Like Tomoko, they tend to be intelligent and imaginative, but also suffer from warped logic and bad choices. They imagine they are compassionate people, but will more likely put selfish desires ahead of the welfare of others. This proves to be their undoing in the show's finale, when the principles are all tried and convicted of "criminal indifference" after laughing at a fat guy in distress.</div>
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The characters are adults living in New York City, but that doesn't particularly distinguish them from teenagers in high school anywhere. They frequently act out of the most juvenile impulses.<br />
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We single Costanza out as our best example. Costanza and Kuroki share self-esteem issues and unrealistic expectations about sex. They are both inclined to be miserable, even if their problems are all within their mind. Costanza, like Kuroki, will act agressively or passively depending on an estimation of superiority or inferiority to others.<br />
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<i>WataMote</i> stories have more in common with <i>Seinfeld</i> than SOL manga, in that they all typically spring from one character's desire to advance in some way or another, and the attempt to win that outcome involves a plausible yet ultimately embarrassing or humiliating scheme. George, for example, finds that he can attract one of Elaine's co-workers by playing up the part of a bad boy; meanwhile Tomoko seeks to become popular with other students by adapting the personality of a popular anime archetype, the silent and emotionless cool girl. George, the bad boy, cries when a policeman arrests him, while Tomoko breaks down in mad tears after stumbling in a coffee shop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7aJaNdkBI5v_oFlRCT9in006P2Hz194ASXzSJkeYigozefUJJUyGsZx5HEnjp8ClKn14ZialVex0fHkVja_f7wDZlPVYD6mEGy2HdAlPGyxPcQeszjyNEbVfk24gvw5MW9Ylj3lYG1Uu/s1600/costanza-kuroki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7aJaNdkBI5v_oFlRCT9in006P2Hz194ASXzSJkeYigozefUJJUyGsZx5HEnjp8ClKn14ZialVex0fHkVja_f7wDZlPVYD6mEGy2HdAlPGyxPcQeszjyNEbVfk24gvw5MW9Ylj3lYG1Uu/s1600/costanza-kuroki.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Costanza-Kuroki connection: George listens to a recording of a mystery woman talking dirty, while anime Tomoko listens to a voice actor performing suggestive lines just for her (top row); George tries to repel his non-smoking fiancee by convincing her that he's a life-long smoker, but fails because he gets sick after an uncontrollable bout of coughing, while manga Tomoko in an attempt to impress new friends only manages to light her fingers, and winds up in trouble anyway when a teacher overhears her bragging about the burn marks.
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You could say that both Tomoko Kuroki and George Costanza are masters of <i>cringe comedy</i>. They are able to take a great amount of humiliation, then bounce back, ready for more.</div>
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<i>Seinfeld</i> and <i>WataMote</i>, both dealing with flawed people prone to doing terrible and careless things, have generated some criticism for occasionally going too far. While neither show is particularly savage in tone, moments of black comedy in both shock some sensibilities. Often critics confuse the stupidity of a character with open advocacy. These people do not understand comedy. To put things in perspective, let's for a moment recall another TV comedy, <i>Fawlty Towers</i>, when frustrated hotel manager Basil Fawlty flays his car with a tree branch, or pokes his hapless employee Manuel in the eye. We laugh because such characters mirror the worst of ourselves, not because we want to be like them. We can still sympathize with them, without endorsing their behavior.<br />
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Cultural differences between <i>Seinfeld</i> and <i>WataMote</i> only underscore their compositional similarities. They both are dependent on the culture of their time and surroundings. The characters all live in what is very much the real world, although Tomoko's stories are more likely to employ "bland name" products in order to avoid legal trouble (such as WcDonald's for McDonald's, and the hybrid coffee shop Star Turry's, in place of Starbucks and Tully's). Since Seinfeld is the older show, its stories often hinge on older technology, such as stranded characters dependent on landline phones, whereas Tomoko's data-driven phone has provided previously unimagined complications.<br />
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But unsurprisingly, human nature remains fairly consistent, largely transcending decades, cultures, age, and gender.<br />
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The anime <i>WataMote</i> has so far run for one season amounting to twelve episodes, and we're still waiting on season two, dammit! While we wait for the suits at Square Enix to get off their butts, we can review the 180 episodes of <i>Seinfeld</i> that spanned nine seasons. Still, the manga has so far spanned over 90 chapters; 90 more to catch up!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-32712448878407717912016-03-07T20:06:00.000-06:002016-03-07T20:20:21.968-06:00What I want to see at QVC Marine FieldTell me that there'll be somebody at the Chiba Lotte Marines game in April throwing a pitch while wearing a gigantic Tomoko Kuroki head.
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-66458588802674552532016-03-07T19:28:00.000-06:002016-03-08T02:46:18.413-06:00Tweet roundupWhat Twitter is saying about <i>WataMote</i> lately.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/IcebergLuffy">@IcebergLuffy</a> My anime of the day is Watamote! Oddly horrifying and cute so far! <a href="https://t.co/uGnIekDjrd">pic.twitter.com/uGnIekDjrd</a></div>
— Adam ViviDark (@VivDaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/VivDaker/status/707026760978833408">March 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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"Oddly horrifying and cute..." :D
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Finished up on Watamote and gotta say it's probably my new favourite anime, bursting with awkward/cringe humour. <a href="https://t.co/qUxCOkirFM">pic.twitter.com/qUxCOkirFM</a></div>
— Max (@Ninkoopa) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ninkoopa/status/706611471984291840">March 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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watamote really spoke to me <a href="https://t.co/ybx8Yp6kCd">pic.twitter.com/ybx8Yp6kCd</a></div>
— nyah :3c (@swagkichi) <a href="https://twitter.com/swagkichi/status/706710597795082241">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Relatable, as always.
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watamote 2 close 2 home</div>
— robin (@rflavinas) <a href="https://twitter.com/rflavinas/status/706849411918331904">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Wish I was a weeb cause that'd imply anime is at least half as good as Watamote, or that there was more Watamote, I confess <a href="https://twitter.com/AlphaVideo66">@AlphaVideo66</a></div>
— Bîrsan Cosmin-Mihai (@hitman41165) <a href="https://twitter.com/hitman41165/status/706976151722455040">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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These are all from this past week, by the way.
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Watamote(SILVER LINK)<a href="https://t.co/AjJu3W3Znl">https://t.co/AjJu3W3Znl</a><br />
Rating:9<br />
Tags:comedy,daily life,school life,Otaku Culture<a href="https://t.co/WDBbheFIHt">https://t.co/WDBbheFIHt</a></div>
— Anime Recommended (@janimerecommend) <a href="https://twitter.com/janimerecommend/status/704672739370668032">March 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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It's that good.
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Watamote continues to bring back suppressed memories. <a href="https://t.co/BlAmJeucS0">pic.twitter.com/BlAmJeucS0</a></div>
— Yuuko Shirakawa (@athenaintheeast) <a href="https://twitter.com/athenaintheeast/status/706660869535436801">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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also watamote is a constant struggle with cringe but at least it feels karmically correct, tomoko's stupid so stupid things happen</div>
— Mauro Fonseca (@TheKKM) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKKM/status/706649939552702464">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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We're all stupid in high school. That's what high school is for.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/UberFacts">@UberFacts</a> watamote taught me this</div>
— Valentine (@VainillaVal) <a href="https://twitter.com/VainillaVal/status/706819111918161920">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The "Uber Fact" is that you'll get sexier dreams from sleeping on your stomach. You remember...
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I don't even know how I feel about continuing with this episode... lol<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Watamote?src=hash">#Watamote</a> <a href="https://t.co/8q3oNWQa2U">pic.twitter.com/8q3oNWQa2U</a></div>
— Internet Au'ri Idol (@Megi_Tsune) <a href="https://twitter.com/Megi_Tsune/status/706639375929470977">March 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-3292577437234843902016-03-06T02:23:00.000-06:002016-03-07T18:22:22.266-06:00Marine's American pitcher says "see you in Chiba!"Major Leaguer Jason Standridge is ready for his first season with the Chiba Lotte Marines.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-45998247526007880992016-03-06T01:33:00.000-06:002016-03-07T18:23:22.111-06:00Nico Tanigawa drop baseball drug scandal from upcoming chapterOn Saturday, Nico Tanigawa revealed in a series of tweets that a joke referencing a recent baseball scandal was scrapped from the next chapter, at the request of their editor.<br />
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Chapter 94 of <i>WataMote</i>, due on March 17, will likely feature baseball in the story, even as the collaborative merchandise is revealed for the <a href="http://nomatterhowilookatit.blogspot.com/2016/03/watamote-x-chiba-lotte-marines-announce.html">upcoming WataMote x Chiba Lotte Marines event</a> at QVC Field.<br />
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The drug scandal involved famed baseball player Kazuhiro Kiyohara. Evidence was found by police at his condiminium that he was injecting himself with a substance containing either amphetamine or methamphetamine.<br />
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The incident was referenced in Volume 7 of <i>WataMote</i>, as we find Nico Tanigawa (who are a duo) listening to the breaking news on TV.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K0FdETz_cFmS6T3t2IBpR2lwryE9ukDR-2zAAftWwwZbY5DQ25qGb5cbsVfRUBQHE1fhhSLrc1EFo2stvt4biXFm12Bs-bH0xDGOnwbjszjnj-vYR95O3N1kcmgmBU_oDghdt3I3RY5q/s1600/house-search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K0FdETz_cFmS6T3t2IBpR2lwryE9ukDR-2zAAftWwwZbY5DQ25qGb5cbsVfRUBQHE1fhhSLrc1EFo2stvt4biXFm12Bs-bH0xDGOnwbjszjnj-vYR95O3N1kcmgmBU_oDghdt3I3RY5q/s1600/house-search.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nico Tanigawa at work</td></tr>
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Such behind-the-scene changes are not unusual, and Nico Tanigawa also noted other baseball-related dialogue that had to be cut, simply because it was no longer true: "I was going to put a joke that ‘there was no players from the Marines in the Japan national baseball team’ in the next chapter, but actually there is now so I have to change the plot."<br />
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As always, thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/mokonymous">Mokonymous</a> for <a href="http://watamote.com/english-forum/comment-page-24/#comment-10167">translating Nico Tanigawa's tweets</a> and providing a link to the background information.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-91368121479232584022016-03-05T03:49:00.002-06:002016-03-05T04:41:18.931-06:00Tomoko's 16th birthday performedI'm going to mostly keep away from posting old stuff on this blog -- the purpose is (apart from the guides) to keep up-to-date with new business, such as new chapters, new books, and new events (like the baseball collaboration), and it would be very easy to degrade the service by getting bogged down endlessly rehashing old videos and fan art -- but I found a cache of WataMote performances on YouTube that I've never seen or heard of before, most of which seem to predate the anime!<br />
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These are pretty good audio productions. There are different actors doing the different parts, and they're cast pretty well. There are good sound effects to accompany the gags. As the audio is performed, the video shows the panels from the comic.<br />
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This seems to be the last of them, and it's a story that takes place slightly after the stories dramatized in the anime. Tomoko celebrates her 16th birthday by reading the dirty parts of Haruki Murakami's <i>Norwegian Wood</i>, fantasizes about being a busty, leather clad biker mama, then panics about the responsibilities of becoming an adult. In the end, she decides she should take her time growing up after all.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-80014390854468741612016-03-04T04:07:00.000-06:002016-03-04T04:07:25.840-06:00WataMote meme: Will there ever be season 2?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nqUmkTTSd84f5m4VWZa0w-ppuZZnRMBdyIJd4i6344QOZh1OetMEBNlFT_zYKZZHNIRmf84TP6q8HVGGEaK_yWrh4dBHmtY66poAjqMjFKfEKxk7zaxLRyE_fN2bRwbLn82F9oLPeT46/s1600/season-2-meme.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nqUmkTTSd84f5m4VWZa0w-ppuZZnRMBdyIJd4i6344QOZh1OetMEBNlFT_zYKZZHNIRmf84TP6q8HVGGEaK_yWrh4dBHmtY66poAjqMjFKfEKxk7zaxLRyE_fN2bRwbLn82F9oLPeT46/s400/season-2-meme.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feel free to use this anytime some heretic chooses to spread around anti-Tomoko negativity.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-48986268515802041282016-03-04T01:46:00.000-06:002016-03-07T00:58:10.100-06:00Notes on Chapter 93<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZ5lXdeNDR5_9tSb8ypovl1_1SKOdZBajkmj1cHpiVSw2BJL8C0h-DCpd4-VyI5rLoSQbF3eAg0c9CYXahimB7fIY6W1YR7CgCclOGta9Y0kJ7iW5cOpeLglacgjo7gIfl_2dAwhi2i7K/s1600/093-tomoko-studying.png" /></a></div>
Notes on chapters are obviously spoiler heavy, so you should only read this in order to supplement what you've already read. We reference the fan translation mostly because the official translation won't be done for a long while.<br />
<h2>
Tomoko's study habits</h2>
Not particularly important to the story, but how often do we see Tomoko actually studying? Way back in Chapter 44, we found her in the coffee shop trying to study, because of the threat of being sent to another school, but we mostly saw her fail to study because she was distracted by the anime running on another patron's laptop.<br />
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However, we know she eventually succeeded, because she improved her grades enough to stay put.<br />
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More recently, in Chapter 90, her homeroom teacher reported to her mother that Tomoko is "diligent and takes school seriously." We know she has some standards when it comes to schoolwork, because she often thinks of academic success as one path to impress her peers, and she was immensely scandalized when she found Yuu-chan so cavalier about the F's on her report card way back in middle school. From Chapter 16 of TomoMote: "I knew she was retarded, but I didn't think she was <i>that</i> retarded!" In Chapter 68 of WataMote, we find her achieving a perfect score on a test after applying her active imagination to a subject of study. She does have an active and engaged mind, for all her laziness and time-wasting.<br />
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So when she runs herself down as a poor student, it's likely her more general lack of self-esteem dragging her down. In Chapter 84, she fantasized about being on the cover of a motivational guide: "In just one year, a below average student raised her test scores by two points and got into a bottom tier university!" Problems with self-esteem are typical with people who have trouble socializing properly. You'll notice that Tomoko is more likley to speak confidently and assertively when she feels superior to the people she's talking to, like children. In Chapter 80, the final night of the school trip, she becomes a patronizing chatterbox after a meaningless quiz on TV leads her to feel superior to Ucchi. As soon as Ucchi reminds her of something embarrassing, she immediately reverted to feelings of inferiority, and plotted to regain an advantage.<br />
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Despite her low opinion of herself as a student, it's probably safe to say that Ogino was speaking truthfully, and that Tomoko is at least a good student with decent grades, and not quite the constant loser she makes herself out to be.<br />
<h2>
One man's trash is Komiyama's treasure</h2>
Tomoko's fantasy about simply giving Komiyama a bundle of her brother's garbage for a birthday present, and Komiyama's reaction to Tomoko's actual gift, largely refers back to Chapter 89, when Tomoko rewarded Komiyama for returning her phone by letting her use her brother's bed while he was away. In that chapter, we see Komiyama tripping out from the sensation of lying within Tomo-kun's sheets. Presumably they were not freshly washed, because Komiyama recognizes the smell of Tomo-kun on the unwashed towel that Tomoko carelessly gave to her.<br />
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Unfortunately for Tomoko, Komiyama is likely to view this gift as an encouraging sign that Tomoko isn't quite so set against her as she generally seems.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEu15I5VkLmtc65KvFubdKvYj0cRuoM2qz6bnVHdEt8cLH9OW1hQwwaXr7LhgHqw0_5deXHcBVFFHO5Z4mOsbwXJCb-IWaJ0F7ykZLc4SYtHzNvUEWye6KFgM1YVLeDvqw8snm09GBubS/s1600/089-garbage-is-an-option.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEu15I5VkLmtc65KvFubdKvYj0cRuoM2qz6bnVHdEt8cLH9OW1hQwwaXr7LhgHqw0_5deXHcBVFFHO5Z4mOsbwXJCb-IWaJ0F7ykZLc4SYtHzNvUEWye6KFgM1YVLeDvqw8snm09GBubS/s1600/089-garbage-is-an-option.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Chapter 89, garbage was actually an option, so Tomoko's not far wrong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
The big reveal</h2>
Recent chapters have had big reveals or big incidents, such as Tomoko's mother finding out for the first time that her daughter has been a quiet loner all through high school (Chapter 90) and Tomoko's sudden interaction with hot guys (beginning in Chapter 88).<br />
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The big reveal this time around is Yuu-chan learning that Komiyama has a crush on Tomoko's little brother. Before now, she didn't think Komiyama had any interest in boys. She probably feels the same way about Tomoko, that she doesn't have a boyfriend simply because she's not interested.<br />
<h2>
Tomoko threatens Yuu-chan</h2>
It's always kind of unnerving to see close friends suddenly turn on each other. Tomoko must find the idea of Kotomi as a sister-in-law so incredibly repulsive that it overrules her usual insecurities about Yuu-chan's friendship.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">YUU-CHAN (sweetly): If Komi-chan and Tomo-kun started dating and eventually got married, you'd be her onee-chan, right Mokocchi? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">TOMOKO: Yuu-chan... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">YUU-CHAN: Hm? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">TOMOKO (darkly): I swear to God if you say that again, I'll kill you. </span><br />
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Tomoko proceeds to "punish" Yuu-chan by forcing her to model underwear in a lingerie shop. Yuu-chan nervously obliges, but even she seems to be a bit peeved when Tomoko abruptly suggests they look at towels instead.<br />
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This incident was not likely serious, but it is a more realistic depiction of a friendship. There are always strains that pop up between even people who like each other very much.<br />
<h2>
Ucchi's recurring panties</h2>
In Chapter 78, Tomoko sees Ucchi asleep, and notices "with her face half hidden and her eyes closed, she almost looks like Yuu-chan."<br />
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In Chapter 80, the final night of the school trip, Tomoko in her haste kicks over Ucchi's luggage just before she comes out of the shower, and winds up hiding a pair of her panties between her sheets, hoping to return it to the luggage later. Instead, Ucchi spies her panties stuck in Tomoko's bed, and starts to become frightened. This chapter marked the real beginning of Ucchi's obsession with Tomoko, which carried over significantly to the athletic meet in Chapter 87, when Ucchi is not only creeped out by Tomoko's behavior, but inadvertently becomes jealous when she sees Tomoko peeking underneath Nemoto's skirt instead of hers.<br />
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Now, as anticipated, Ucchi has finally spied Tomoko out on a "date" with her close-enough twin. "S-she's making someone who looks just like me try out all that underwear! What relationship do those two have, anyway?"<br />
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As fate would have it, Tomoko notices Ucchi just as she's holding up a pair of panties that look remarkably like the panties from Ucchi's luggage, earlier on. Tomoko doesn't know about Ucchi's increasing paranoia, so all she sees are "people from my class". Of course she knows who Ucchi is, just as she knows who Yoshida is, who in the last chapter she initially identified as "a high schooler playing pachinko". Tomoko, so lacking in social skills and friends, tends to departmentalize people instead of thinking of them by name. Hatsushiba is <i>fatass</i> or <i>fatso</i>, Yoshida is the <i>delinquent</i>, Ucchi is the <i>emoji</i>, and Yuri and her friend who invite her to lunch every day are <i>those two</i>. Komiyama, of course, ranges from <i>Komi-something </i>to <i>shitty cockroach</i> to <i>toilet-dining bitch</i>. Tomoko doesn't even think of her teachers by name.<br />
<h2>
Yuu-chan's present</h2>
This note is a placeholder, because I need some guidance on what the heck exactly that thing Yuu-chan gave Komiyama. It seems to be some sort of steampunk-influenced hair jewelry, and the image is perhaps confusing because Nico Tanigawa chose to leave Komiyama's hair around it un-inked, so as not to damage the delicate lines of the delicate mechanism.<br />
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In any case, we know it's something Yuu-chan considers girly (since she learned that Komiyama is actually interested in boys, after all), so it likely is some kind of jewelry that doesn't really suit Komiyama's highly developed otaku fashion sense.<br />
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Other than maybe that, there's nothing particularly unusual culturally in this chapter.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-47587236977282306722016-03-02T23:35:00.002-06:002016-03-07T18:25:03.315-06:00WataMote x Chiba Lotte Marines announce details, prices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYpIi5dacqmFpsFWE8Jeb4URR4nlnxfkSp93ZtygcUfLLsCa0LIM8W5HjOqNp5mHzuqEfLCzTFk4BiWIJKnuhyphenhyphenAHSud3pTusFJXROxqKcZpzKCZWKWmlJ3V5aEZCSjV8yJ45KYbWixiQn/s1600/kurokis-baseball-chibis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYpIi5dacqmFpsFWE8Jeb4URR4nlnxfkSp93ZtygcUfLLsCa0LIM8W5HjOqNp5mHzuqEfLCzTFk4BiWIJKnuhyphenhyphenAHSud3pTusFJXROxqKcZpzKCZWKWmlJ3V5aEZCSjV8yJ45KYbWixiQn/s320/kurokis-baseball-chibis.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
More <a href="http://eplus.jp/sys/web/sports/watamote/index.html">details have been posted</a> about the collaboration between Tomoko Kuroki and Kotomi Komiyama's favorite baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines.<br />
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The dates have been announced, and there will of course be special limited edition merchandise available.<br />
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In addition, there apparently will be a fan party, and Nico Tanigawa will be on hand to autograph <a href="http://nomatterhowilookatit.blogspot.com/2016/03/watamote-volume-9-cover-revealed.html">Volume 9</a>, which will also be available for purchase.<br />
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All the fun takes place at the QVC Marine Field, in Chiba City, Japan [<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/QVC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89/@35.6452396,140.0287202,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x602281f64a6b928d:0x6df5d2c745778da9?hl=en">Google Maps</a>] the weekend of April 8th, with the fan party taking place on Saturday in the Field Terrace Suite.<br />
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<i>Check <a href="http://watamote.com/english-forum/comment-page-24/#comment-10161">here for more details in English</a>. Thanks be to <a href="https://twitter.com/mokonymous">Mokonymous</a> for the translation!</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-52205478775289557222016-03-02T22:28:00.000-06:002016-03-07T18:24:46.904-06:00Chiba Lotte Marines images revealed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's Kuroki's baseball, with a gaggle of chibi Tomoko and friends.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwj6X3XksuKWEr8xlbKJf_IFNMLC2hxT1UC9LJzbOo6SCD1wU4K644YBRlyZH8eZdzLH4cRG8_Rx4f0mzoLtyTRjqvlHfaIKYXuEhvNZAUtRgEG8B8totSTHnhYWyTw7sNu3u-sRJRn8b/s1600/kurokis-baseball-chibis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwj6X3XksuKWEr8xlbKJf_IFNMLC2hxT1UC9LJzbOo6SCD1wU4K644YBRlyZH8eZdzLH4cRG8_Rx4f0mzoLtyTRjqvlHfaIKYXuEhvNZAUtRgEG8B8totSTHnhYWyTw7sNu3u-sRJRn8b/s640/kurokis-baseball-chibis.jpg" width="499" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-82804579578712533462016-03-02T21:29:00.000-06:002016-03-08T19:20:08.495-06:00Chapter 93: Tomoko and Yuu-chan go shopping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Chapter 93 posted at <a href="http://www.ganganonline.com/comic/watashiga/">Gangan Online</a>: shopping for Komiyama. "Because I'm not popular, I'll give presents".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21XYkrt60XRONIbXvR0ZAvWifNX_-hblnwor2rjGNCRxPvDwwX-1rhj99GV4NBreoQ7z7-b9Fv5OVnDTc0LTo6uDd3oScqE9cPWUKJSAC8YtO909OuCAk-Kx7IQJ-iz4athWgZ6WWRAkR/s1600/chapter-93.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21XYkrt60XRONIbXvR0ZAvWifNX_-hblnwor2rjGNCRxPvDwwX-1rhj99GV4NBreoQ7z7-b9Fv5OVnDTc0LTo6uDd3oScqE9cPWUKJSAC8YtO909OuCAk-Kx7IQJ-iz4athWgZ6WWRAkR/s400/chapter-93.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Check <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldThree">World Three</a> for the fan translation.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-4231731392824397082016-03-02T21:15:00.001-06:002016-03-03T03:51:28.808-06:00WataMote Volume 9 cover revealed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Available in its original Japanese edition from Square Enix on March 22. The Yen Press edition in English should be available later this year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglGF2vsaAfdYOQVQnFHX9fYag-Hi5H5y9H7Co9GnI-od6-oXpuYGcVgTc-8ftxsyPV_EVS5zW4IfMenJXtTE-CBp1OAF0IlNbMD_WyTxduLy1DiMyRkWvrHZO0pVBx7bA5kFy74Co4i_3/s1600/watamote-cover-vol9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhglGF2vsaAfdYOQVQnFHX9fYag-Hi5H5y9H7Co9GnI-od6-oXpuYGcVgTc-8ftxsyPV_EVS5zW4IfMenJXtTE-CBp1OAF0IlNbMD_WyTxduLy1DiMyRkWvrHZO0pVBx7bA5kFy74Co4i_3/s640/watamote-cover-vol9.jpg" width="443" /></a></div>
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See our <a href="http://nomatterhowilookatit.blogspot.com/p/manga-guide.html">WataMote manga guide</a> for an overview of Volume 9's contents.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-33186757764441361052016-03-02T09:59:00.002-06:002016-03-07T00:59:30.930-06:00Apparently there is a rumor of some sort of update tomorrowWaiting for Chapter 93!
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="ja">
明日は更新日なんだ(*^◯^*)! <a href="https://t.co/LzrIVMnUFz">pic.twitter.com/LzrIVMnUFz</a></div>
— noe (@noe_Muumilaakso) <a href="https://twitter.com/noe_Muumilaakso/status/705006517343244288">March 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-20736855063045405662016-03-01T06:02:00.003-06:002016-03-02T20:41:32.494-06:00New Nico Tanigawa series announced<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATXBGf3LuQxSL4MOExtDN9FtCSyqHoFnByeweW7gG0boBqDm-rQQ7axoBzTZGW38XQM18ggPpysRDePy4qgjh0ckR7WRlBEONjt5gDDdy4FazoDqBUQR7jiMYVs6yIGfvLmlI1ZvCGrl_/s1600/DengekiDaiohApril2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATXBGf3LuQxSL4MOExtDN9FtCSyqHoFnByeweW7gG0boBqDm-rQQ7axoBzTZGW38XQM18ggPpysRDePy4qgjh0ckR7WRlBEONjt5gDDdy4FazoDqBUQR7jiMYVs6yIGfvLmlI1ZvCGrl_/s1600/DengekiDaiohApril2016.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Dengeki Daiouji</i>, April 2016 issue</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Reliable source Mokonymous, webmaster of <i><a href="http://watamote.com/">watamote.com</a>,</i> reports the announcement of a <a href="http://watamote.com/english-forum/comment-page-24/#comment-10073">new Nico Tanigawa series</a> for <i>Dengeki Daiouji</i>, home of their previous non-<i>WataMote</i> series, <i>Number Girl</i>. It will begin serialization soon, and is apparently about a novelist.<br />
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Considering the occasional references to Haruki Murakami in the pages of <i>WataMote</i>, this should be a fun direction for them to go.<br />
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The reported title is tentative, and so we will come back with more details as soon as available.<br />
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UPDATE: Nico Tanigawa on Twitter seem to confirm that the <a href="https://twitter.com/harimoguni/status/705175315715260416">title may change</a> "significantly".Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-68874382131836370162016-02-29T15:43:00.000-06:002016-03-07T00:59:06.981-06:00Kenzie Cosplay does Tomoko at Katsucon 2016Visit <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cosplay.girl.67/">Kenzie Cosplay on Instagram</a> for more pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQtY55Jg2uKpb8yacQAiLE_gHijd7RUxfRhfyja3Zk5onMYe3REGVHvPLMJxVPawH6IJZj37ahE3PALU6JuVs4PHm3UovMBUAgL7v8qXKCdupNmdrIVURrsCm-YZuKeVa_jbbUHMmoLpa/s1600/kenzie-cosplay-katsucon-2016-washington-dc-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQtY55Jg2uKpb8yacQAiLE_gHijd7RUxfRhfyja3Zk5onMYe3REGVHvPLMJxVPawH6IJZj37ahE3PALU6JuVs4PHm3UovMBUAgL7v8qXKCdupNmdrIVURrsCm-YZuKeVa_jbbUHMmoLpa/s1600/kenzie-cosplay-katsucon-2016-washington-dc-SM.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5517109912685489950.post-51047395577620917382016-02-26T15:02:00.000-06:002016-03-07T18:25:20.051-06:00Watamote OP covered by power metal YouTuber PelleKThe extended version of the anime theme, mind. He does the growls, and he hits the high notes. Even if you don't like his style, he certainly puts his all into this performance of the classic loner's anthem.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cg1aGS5VGkg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cg1aGS5VGkg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430593137782402152noreply@blogger.com0