#shizuku hirasawa

[salt-apple]

CASINO SEKAI! (I dont have a band name for them. Please feel free to suggest some!)

More info under the cut!

From left to right:

ORANGE / CLUBS: Hyuna / Hyeon-a Jeong, she/they/it

Hyuna attends Kamiyama High in class 1-C.  She is very accident prone, wearing bandages even over spots that aren't hurt.  She was incredibly lonely over the course of middle school, but acted as if she was fine with it.  People don't tend to like her, even though she's nothing but positive.  After a particularly late day at school, she spots someone singing alone in a restaurant and takes interest...

RED / HEARTS: Ai Akemi, she/her

Ai attends Miyamasuzaka High in class 2-B.  She is in the archery club with Mafuyu Asahina and Shizuku Hinomori.  Ai can come off as haughty quite often.  She is a little bit of an overachiever in school, but doesn't overwork herself.  She secretly wants to put herself more forward, but doesn't, because she's deathly afraid of people thinking she's a bad person for her "haughty" nature.  One day, coming home from archery club, she spots someone performing in a restaurant and it piques her interest...

YELLOW / ACE CARD: CASINO Hatsune Miku, she/her

Miku in this SEKAI is a laidback, all loving VOCALOID who helps the members find their true feelings.  She loves to play card games for no real monetary gain, moreso for the fun of it.  She finds herself winning games that have ace as the highest card often, and her turn is usually first when drawn from the deck!

GREEN / SPADES: Kaede Fujita, she/any, leader

Kaede attends Kamiyama High in class 2-C.  She is the leader of the unit.  Kaede has always loved playing music for others to listen to, but her style doesn't mesh well with her peers.  She's deeply afraid of expressing her true self, so she stays quiet most of the time.  She performs gigs at restaurants when she can, but they usually desert and she has a hard time finding them most of the time.  One particularly good gig brings some people in, though...

BLUE / DIAMONDS: Taeko Hirasawa, she/they

Taeko attends Kamiyama High in class 2-B.  She is the class representative of year 2.  She comes off as very cold and judgmental, so nobody wants to hang out with her.  She is very lonely, and wishes she had a way to express herself.  Since she has no real way, she buries herself in schoolwork to get into a good university.  One day, after cram school, she walks past a restaurant and sees a lone live performer.  This takes her interest...

NOT PICTURED:

RED / KING CARD: CASINO MEIKO (VOCALOID), she/her

MEIKO in this SEKAI is very sweet and caring.  She likes to play instruments such as piano or trumpet lying around in her free time.  She gives very mature and thought-out advice and offers a shoulder to cry on.  MEIKO also loves to make drinks at the bar (much like Street MEIKO, but it isn't her job).  Feel free to ask for the secret menu... I'm sure she'd love to give you something special!

PINK-RED / QUEEN CARD: CASINO Kasane Teto* (UTAU/SynthV), she/he

Teto in this SEKAI is a little mischievous.  She loves to rig games for herself and others, and has a friendly rivalry with Miku.  Despite his troublemaking, Teto is a great advice giver, and likes to talk to others.  Don't be shy about giving him a little piece of bread for a fun joke!

*In this SEKAI, UTAU and SynthV are being included (After all, in game, they are VIRTUAL SINGERS, not VOCALOIDS). Teto is not a VOCALOID, unfortunately.  Some other potential UTAU for this SEKAI include Darling, Momo, and Utane.  

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #162

Tanabata has come around once again to offer a generation of high schoolers some false hope in order to distract them from the cruel reality that is life. At least, that’s what the old Tomoko might’ve thought. While the world ultimately didn’t hand everything to her on a silver platter, Tomoko’s half-hearted hope did actually manifest into something she holds dear. The question now remains...

What does she strive for now?          

Chapter 162: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Make A Wish

“I wish that Watamote would get a 2nd season!”

Ahem...moving on.

Nothing like a little friendly brooding to start the day.

In a weird, ironic way, Yuri seems to empathize with Tomoko over mutual apathy. The one constant they share is that they both like to take the path of least resistance in life. While Yuri may be a little off the mark at times, having that unspoken bond is a great point to start from.

So we knew Nemo recognized that Tomoko was a former loner, but Yuri, too? Then again, it’s been hinted at before that Tomoko is kind of an open book and that the people around Tomoko are more perceptive of her than she’d like to believe. So yeah, Yuri knew Tomoko barely had friends before she met her (a fact that likely fuels her codependency tendencies). But like any good friend, Yuri stuck around despite that history.

Still can’t get over her casually calling her Yuri-chan.

For a hardcore introvert like Yuri, doing something for the sake of being social with no practical purpose seems illogical. It makes total sense that traditions like Tanabata aren’t really her cup of tea. Just how much Yuri is aware of that is still kind of fuzzy, but no less endearing, 

Reiterating a joke I made in the previous chapter, but Tomoko really ought to take a crash course in psychological projection.

Taking a stab at Yuri’s desires, now...I’d say it would be to have someone who really understands her. Or for Minami to lose her fang. Either or.

Wow, I wouldn’t have figured that Ucchi was the type to write in all caps.

I always wondered if the sugar-sweet and dragged-out way that moe anime girls yell “Senpaaai!” was actually grating by real-life Japanese standards. Looks like I was right.

Now those school fan clubs for the ridiculously attractive girl/guy that you sometimes see in manga are starting to feel pretty legit right now. 

“Pfft, basic bitches,” thought Tomoko. 

Smooth like butter.

You know, I think that Tomoko being unable to come up with something is a solid indication that she’s relatively satisfied with her life right now. Sure, she has career goals and whatnot, but she no longer feels troubled by material desires or short-term gratification. Like Yuri, it may be that Tomoko has more intangible, emotional desires that aren’t easy to put into words. But also like Yuri, Tomoko may have recently already gained that.

Occasionally–just occasionally–a few earnestly pure-of-heart moments from a cute manga girl is all you really need.

...Especially when it’s immediately offset by Tomoko being Tomoko.

Ohhhh, boy. That last comment by Tomoko is opening up all sorts of questions regarding her sexuality. I’ve mentioned before that Tomoko may be dealing with some sort of gender dysphoria and I think that’s becoming more apparent than ever. For one, her totally normal-not-at-all-creepy desire to NTR her kouhai assumes that only a guy could do that to Hirasawa. It also implies that Tomoko would only acknowledge liking girls if she identified as male. Not once did Tomoko consider that she, as a female, could NTR another female. All in all, there’s a bit of internalized homophobia, repressed sexuality, etc. at play here, and it’s going to take a bit of soul-searching for Tomoko to sort it all out.

Once every thousand years, we get some actual chibi art out of this series.

Bless you, Nico Tanigawa.

The best part of this Hirasawa-vision is that Tomoko is drawn exactly the same, just with lighter tones. Hirasawa’s not blind, just optimistic, which makes her heroine-worship so much more earnest.

Normally, super innocent girls like Hirasawa who get overly excited on trivial things tend to rub me the wrong way, mostly because I have a hard time thinking young girls are that simple-minded. But there’s something about Hirasawa that feels genuine. It may be because her excitement feels like its deriving from a sense of loneliness. Like an overreaction from latching onto any lure of female friendship. 

It’s also just cute.

Tomoko...I’m pretty sure that’s your confirmation bias talking right there.

We don’t even need to see anything above the waist, but you can tell exactly who this is based on context alone...

I was wondering how Ucchi actually manages to do that Darth Vader thing with her mouth...

...then I remembered how her face looks and it makes perfectly no sense.

Guys, I...I think Ucchi finally broke.

Actually, Miyazaki, it may not be phrased as a wish, but it definitely is a wish...

I really enjoy the little bits of characterization in everyone’s wishes. For Yuri and Tomoko, like the BFFs they are, they have the same, most basic wish since they don’t really have any other burning desires. It’s also short and sweet, and without any fluff, as they would normally be if speaking out loud. And lastly, Yuri doesn’t leave her last name, as if she doesn’t want to attach herself onto her wish that far. 

Katou, on the other hand, is all giddy and sweet, using words like “hope” and “together” when effectively making the same wish. She uses “we” without naming anyone, making it an all-inclusive wish. Just what you’d expect from the class mom.

Tomoko’s habit of “lying on reflex” actually makes a great deal of sense. She’s the type who has trouble expressing her vulnerabilities, and lying is a standard defense mechanism, just like Yuri’s noncommital attitude, Nemo’s passive aggression, and whatever Katou most certainly has.  

Oh, Yuri, you precious bean. I know jokes aren’t your forte, but your emotional responses–or lack thereof–makes for a great punchline.

Did ya’ll notice how Tomoko’s second wish is exactly what Imae wished for last year? Tomoko may not always make the best decisions when comes to carrying the torch of The Great Megumi Imae, but you can’t deny that she’s making a concerted effort.

Guess Tomoko isn’t the only one with enough nerve to turn a Tanabata wish into a dirty joke...

Damn, we all knew that Fuuka was getting an unhealthy fixation over Katou and Tomoko’s “secret” relationship, but never to the point where it was affecting her studies, and by extension, her after-high school prospects. It hints that the series may be taking this misunderstanding into a direction that’s not entirely played for gags. It’s a risky move because such a development could easily come across as contrived if taken seriously, but if they keep it character-driven a la Ucchi, it could make for some really engaging moments. 

C’mon, Fuuka. How did you think people were going to take that?

Of all of the people who’ve been “corrupted” by Tomoko, Fuuka may be taking the most damage out of all of them. Poor thing.   

Let’s see here...

Sometimes I worry about Itou’s sense of self when she always identifies herself by her relationships with others.

Yo, Komiyama doesn’t even bother mentioning the Lottes by name because “Who else of any importance could it possibly be?”. Never lose faith, Komi.

Sweet, naïve Mike. She (and her boyfriend who’s somehow still kicking) is set up to be this series’ greatest tragedy.

This is Tomoko Kuroki, everyone. The girl who can’t see the raging emoji-faced horndog right in front of her, but will misconstrue a single misunderstanding as a pervert. Selective perception, ain’t it?

Well, it is a great opportunity to anonymously judge people’s inner desires, so Tomoko’s probably right.

Here we go again...

Nice to see that Nemo has practical, but optimistic expectations for her goal. She knows that she’s in her prime and is ready to hit the ground running. 

The thing about Yoshida’s wish is that it implies that she knows she’ll be faced with resistance. Still, I gotta respect her individuality.

Okada’s wish feels like a cry for help if you look at it another way. That’s probably not the case, though. Probably.

That’s the beauty of it all, Tomoko. In the end, you really didn’t do anything. At least, not directly. What you did was make yourself into an example for Nemo to follow. One of Tomoko’s greatest attributes is that she’s unapologetically herself, which is how she eventually got noticed–and in Nemo’s case, admired–in the first place.   

Quakey legs + short people problems = cute Tomoko. 

Aw man, what I wouldn’t give for this to be a running gag. That in all those chapters where Tomoko was all alone, there was actually somebody she knows now that was in the scene, too. It (sort of) first happened with the dick-pics-in-class chapter and the three-legged race guy, after all. Poor Tomoko has all this baggage that can be used against her now.

For those with shitty memory like me...

“I want to lose my virginity in a year so I don’t lose track of my bigger goals.”

Of course, she’d forget about the part that actually mattered.

Well, you know, Tomoko, they do say that every joke/lie has a kernel of truth.

I noticed that a lot of (comedy) manga seems to like elevating the value of losing(or saving) one’s virginity to absurd levels, at least in the inexperienced minds of its teenaged male characters. Tomoko herself has perpetuated this notion in the past. But even so, the “in-universe” outside of Tomoko’s mind never really aggrandizes sex, and I find that it to be a very refreshing change that shows how, in reality, as Nemo suggests, losing your virginity isn’t really that big of a damn deal.  

Good ol’ Tomoko logic at its finest.

Nemo looks...surprisingly serious about that. Normally that kind of talk would catch her off guard a little, but she had no hesitation with that retort. I think that’s solid evidence that Nemo has done more research into the nature of the voice acting industry, especially after Tomoko unintentionally trolled her with that eroge. 

This could lead to even more intellectual (if not openly sexual) conversations between Tomoko and Nemo that go beyond their usual bantering. That’d be pretty lit. 

Well, if Tomoko is a direct reflection of the author, then she probably thinks light novels are mostly for loser otaku trying to live their perverted fantasies through self-insert literature (at least, what I gathered from Write Sisters).

Well, I’m be damned if that isn’t blatant foreshadowing for where Tomoko’s future is headed.

Even though I saw it coming a mile away, it still gives me the warm fuzzies.

As fantastic as it would be for Tomoko to be an accomplished light novelist with Nemo voicing a character in her anime adaptation, I feel like that level of success would be a little out of reach for this series’ approach to realism. 

If I were to look into the future, I’d say that Tomoko would write a light novel that’d be successful just enough to be greenlit for an ultimately mediocre anime adaptation. And Nemo, being a rookie, would either be not cast at all, or be given a bit part for a background character.

Of course, that’s all speculation. As Nemo says, the freedom to dream is the one thing we can count on. And if there’s one thing the mangaka has learned from doing this series, it’s that being realistic doesn’t mean you can’t have a happy ending. 

I guess being considerate/decent to complete strangers is still locked out of Tomoko’s comfort zone. 

I think we found a member of Rena’s family.

Man, the more we get these tidbits of Imae’s legacy affecting the school (and Tomoko), the more nostalgic I get for her. I sincerely hope we get to see her at least one last time before the series is over.

And in tried-and-true Watamote fashion, we get a little bit of Tomoko’s wisdom to end off another thought-provoking chapter.

In retrospect, there wasn’t a whole lot of “action” in this chapter that could be built upon later. It was mostly a series of gags sprinkled with some nice conversation (at least until Nemo’s part). One of the core themes that Nico Tanigawa seems to be playing with is, “Now that Tomoko has come this far, where does she go from here?” And the answer is...

They don’t know. 

Legitimately, I don’t think the mangakas know exactly what Tomoko’s endgame will be. Sure, they have some strong ideas in terms of school and career, but nothing definitive. As s result, I think playing with the gags and jokes a bit more is their way of “stirring the pot” and seeing what comes out. All of Watamote’s greatest developments did originate from comedy, after all. The first Tanabata chapter is a prime example of this, and I have no reason to think that the stars of the second Tanabata chapter won’t shine over Tomoko once again.

[frank-seven]

Senpai Simulator.

Post-Chapter 132 from Watamote.

[watafan]

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Sengoku Komachi Kuroutan 1 Review

Author: Kyouchikutou

Illustrator: Geko Hirasawa

Label: Earth Star Novel

Release Date: 15 January 2016

Unfortunately, I didn’t really like this volume. I just found it really inaccessible due to emphasis on agriculture and the Sengoku Era, both of which are topics that I really don’t know much about. I found the story hard to really get into due to that but I think that someone who has an interest in those two subjects will enjoy this.

Story:

Genre: Agriculture, Historical, Time Travel

Shizuko is the student of an agricultural school who has an interest in history. One day, she discovers that she’s somehow time traveled back to the Sengoku Era. She meets Oda Nobunaga who threatens to kill her unless she can prove her worth. She discovers that she can do this by aiding Nobunaga with ker knowledge of agriculture. With no way of knowing how to get back home, she does the only thing she can do: survive.

I found this volume to be very inaccessible, as someone who has a limited knowledge of agriculture and Japanese history (most of what I know about the Sengoku Era is from anime like Oda Nobuna no Yabou and most of what I know about agriculture is from Gin no Saji). But I acknowledge that it’s unlikely that the author ever thought that this novel would be read by someone outside of Japan so I don’t think that it can really be helped. I just found it really hard to get into.

The other thing worth mentioning is that the story has yet to confirm whether Shizuku's actions will influence history or not. She doesn't seem concerned about that possibility but she sure is introducing a lot of technology ahead of their time. Peaking ahead at the volume covers, it does seem like the later volumes will introduce a warfare element as well. Whether it’ll be handled well or not, I can’t say but I think it’s worth a mention.

All that said, I can see that this might have been more interesting had I had more interest and knowledge on the subjects. It goes into quite a bit of detail in describing the agriculture side of things and I can see how that could be interesting. It’s not for me but I can see certain people liking it.

Character:

Shizuku’s an okay protagonist. She didn’t make a strong impression on me but she’s got a strong will and is quite clever. She does feel a bit too clever and OP at times which causes her to not be very relatable to the reader but I didn’t hate her. The rest of the characters were mostly unmemorable but I did like the wolves.

Adapatation Notes:

The manga is illustrated by Hajime Sawada and is ongoing with four volumes currently released. I found the manga to be more accessible than the light novel but it still has issue where it's hard to really get into it unless the reader is interested in the subjects.There are a couple of changes here and there which I think helped the story flow more smoothly but I still found it really hard to get interested in. At the moment, I would recommend the manga over the light novel.

Recommended for:

People who have an interest in agriculture and Japanese history (especially those with an interest in the Sengoku Era).

I won’t be getting volume 2 any time soon but there is a chance that I may reread this volume once I’ve learned more Japanese and more about Japanese history. For now, I have no plans to continue with the series.

Next up is Okitsune-sama no Iruikonintan

[virovac]

Watamote: A summary of Tomoko’s school associates as of Chapter 137

Because reducing it to calling it a “harem” kind of cheapens the amazing trainwreck.

Nicknames whether said out loud or in Tomoko’s monologue will be given first.

Komi-something/( Kotomi Komiyama ) : frenemy since Middle School. They are mutually in denial about this.

Masaki Yoshida: An innocent* but violent girl, and oddly a friend of Tomoko’s. (Which often risks bodily harm to Tomoko with her foot-in-mouth problem). Greatly dislikes being considered a delinquent. Has grown closer to Tomoko after a field trip to Disneyland. Often hangs out with two other more worldly friends we don’t know much about except they are used to Yoshida’s violent outbursts and even enable them by easily forgiving them. 

Will punch even her closest friends if they badmouth Disneyland. 

*in matters of the world and sex anyway,

Nemo/ Hina Nemoto : Formerly closeted otaku. Determined to be friends/ playful frenemies with Tomoko out of admiration for the latter being “true to herself”, morbid fascination and a sense of kinship. Tomoko was understandably intimidated by her until most recent chapters once they returned to school after Disneyland field trip. 

Her efforts are opposed by:

Yuri Tamura: out to establish dominance as Tomoko’s bestie. Territorial towards newcomers. Formerly the most “normal” of a trio consisting of her, Tomoko and Yoshida following them being a group on a field-trip; she started becoming more emotionally dependent on the two, especially Tomoko who she feels she can understand her more easily than she can other people. Socially awkward in blunt and less self-aware way than the rest of the cast, has to have other point it out when she’s stepping out of line. 

While some fans clamor for a relationship between her and Tomoko, currently the reason Tomoko is at ease around Yuri seems partly because she doesn’t think of Yuri in a sexual context: not an object of desire or envy, nor a possible additional romantic stalker of her little brother. When Yuri brags about knowing more about Tomoko than Nemo and that she even touched her brother (in a deadpan as if she was saying she met a  pet dog). Tomoko, who usually never misses a chance to rag on someone seemingly attracted to her brother doesn’t react.

Mako Tanaka: the repentant. Friend of both Yuri,and also friend to Yuri’s nemesis Minami (possibly the psychological reason why Yuri is so possessive of her newer friends and doesn’t want to share them).  Sees Tomoko with rose colored glasses out of guilt for ditching her once. Tomoko misreads this and thinks she's a crazed lesbian lusting after her.  

Speaking of desires towards the same sex.,,

Asuka Katō : the unattainable object of Tomoko’s desires. A nice popular girl who wants to be a stylist, but so far she’s only really good at prettying herself. Formerly a target of our protagonists envy, has become a target of lust after giving her food on the Disneyland trip. Tomoko sees her like a hostess at a gentleman’s club, and feels she now understands why guys buy gifts for such ladies.  

(Yeah, Asuka was the tipping point in reveling Tomoko’s attraction to girls isn’t merely out of her long-established desperation for affection, but also can include interest in specific social interactions.)

“Emoji Face”/ Emiri "Ucchi" Uchi : Stealthy stalker who barely interact socially with Tomoko, but can blend in anywhere like a social chameleon. The circumstances on how this cheerleader started stalking Tomoko are complicated, it started with keeping an eye out for the “creepy girl who tried to look up her skirt” and well.. read the manga. Currently the only character in manga with romantic interest towards Tomoko. Recently has possibly started a one-sided rivalry with:

Shizuku Hirasawa: The new student 

Was accidentally helped by Tomoko who was trying to sabotage her with bad advice on taking the entrance exam. The advice turned out to work. Dismissed and ignored by her peers out of jealousy for her popularity with boys. Sees Tomoko as her sempai. Tomoko tolerates her because she thinks “this slut might have some entertaining stories”. 

Yuri ignores her, Hina creeps her out as part of a power play. Ucchi tripped her in the hall and told her not to get complacent.

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #132

The Disneyland shenanigans are officially over, and Tomoko goes back to her unchanging school days.

...nah.

One of the more introspective punchlines of the series was when Tomoko thought things would go back to normal after the Kyoto trip, only to realize how much her life has changed because of it. It stands to reason that the Disneyland trip would have the same life-changing effect on her, so in this case, that punchline becomes moot. Change, however gradual, is inevitable now, and this chapter highlights just how much Tomoko has changed in terms of her maturity.   

Chapter 132: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Get A Kouhai

Normal is never static. What was normal yesterday is not normal today. And what they thought was abnormal has since then become normal. Such is the life of Miss Tomoko Kuroki. 

Would’ya look at that. A hint of Minami’s development has finally been realized. With her “friends” Katou and Okada hanging with Nemoto, Minami has grown enough self-awareness to see that she doesn’t have the sort of friendship with them that she’s been trying to force. Could this be the start of Minami’s growing inferiority complex? 

Fourth wheel, but yeah.

I think this is the first time Mako and Yuri have directly acknowledged Tomoko’s hobbies. Sure, they likely got the impression during that time Tomoko recommended books to them during the snow day, but they’ve always been more reactive than proactive. While they probably don’t know the more otaku-ish media Tomoko consumes, seeing Mako reciprocate that gesture, and in a positive approach no less, is so heartwarmingly nonjudgmental. 

Minami is not actually as condescending as she sounds in this translation. While she does acknowledge that her relationship with Yuri and Tomoko is inconsequential, she actually appears to give some serious thought to bettering her relationship with them. As it stands, getting shot down at Disneyland seems to have opened Minami’s mind a bit to the idea of letting down her bully-shield to let in the companionship she so desperately craves.

My personal favorite aspect of Tomoko’s character is how she’s so media literate. Not just in stories themselves, but the practices that go into them and how they influence society and vice versa. But what keeps Tomoko from being a strawman character is how her responses are framed. Her instinct, when offered a shoujo manga, is not to thank Mako (but I’m sure she did), but to criticize the genre. When reading is involved, Tomoko is relentlessly brutal.  

There’s so much you could say about how Tomoko pretties herself up when inserting herself as a shoujo manga heroine. All I can say is that, all things considered, Tomoko has infinitesimal levels of self-importance. 

I could overreach here and say that the bully in the second panel looks interestingly similar to Katou...but I’ll leave it at that. 

As a realist, it makes sense that Tomoko would be disdainful of the absurdly optimistic nature of shoujo manga. For reasons I’ll expand upon later, I believe that Tomoko may actually be expressing a degree of protectiveness for all her criticism.

I grinned like a moron at this.

As we come to realize, Yuri is generally very restrained in her behavior towards her friends, reactions and all. Whether she hesitantly agrees with Tomoko or subtly disapproves of her actions, Yuri almost never throws in all her cards. But this may be the first time Yuri has ever sided with Tomoko on something 110% of the way. It warms my heart, even if Yuri ends up “corrupted” this way. 

Many others have already noticed this, but Tomoko’s assessment of shoujo manga appears to reflect the growing relationship Minami has with them, perhaps even foreshadowing where it might lead. It’s worth noting that Minami is more resigned than the dialogue suggests. She partly sees the impossibility of befriending them as a weakness of herself, leading her to take the last resort of seeing her old group. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily be as disappointed as Tomoko if Minami did befriend them. With Nico Tanigawa’s ability to avoid obvious cliches, I think they could pull it off.

Aside: I’ve always been fascinated by how simultaneously mature yet childish shounen manga often is. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing. To put it briefly, when done correctly, it can influence young teens to take a healthy approach to life’s dark realities. 

Bless these friends and how supportive they are of Tomoko’s loner habits.

To this, I’d like to call forth the trope named, “Generic Cuteness”. In the case of shojo manga, the “plain” girl is still drawn beautifully, because... 

a. then the reader can self-insert as being more pretty than they really are, and b. the most basic of human anatomy, i.e. “plain”, is still universally appealing due to a lack of glaring deformities, which manga art styles tend to replicate.

As I said before, Tomoko’s first-hand experience with unrealistic hopes has made her empathetic to those who’ve been in her shoes. She knows how the influence of media can set up naive youngsters down a path of disappointment, so her rejection of such manga could be her own passive way of strengthening up today’s youth. Wow, I sound old.      

It’s pretty sad how self-deprecating Tomoko is about her own looks, especially since making friends seems to have subtlely prettied her up. To reference another trope, the “Hollywood Homely”, the casting of which is no doubt politics in play, never fails to make me roll my eyes.

Is that manga a parody of Wolf Girl and Black Prince? You couldn’t pick a better shoujo series for Tomoko to poke fun at.

The Return of Imae’s-Sister!

...or not.

Creeper in the background: “..disgusting.”

Already, we can see that Hirasawa is not as oblivious as her resemblance to shoujo manga heroines would lead one to believe. Her response to Tomoko’s questions tells us that she’s well-aware that hanging with a lot of guys makes her look like the type who “gets around”. The impression would look even worse if they knew she already has a boyfriend. 

I do question why being surrounded by guys is viewed as potentially negative whereas nobody seems to bat an eye when it happened to a girl like Futaki. I won’t go into too much detail since the latter isn’t in this chapter, but it may have something to do with Futaki being untraditionally pretty, and thus easier to root for.      

This is one of those lines that could mean something entirely different depending on who says it. It’s easy for a girl to sound arrogant and smug for such “unfairness”, but Hirasawa’s sincere expression makes her sound sympathetic, at least I hope so.

Admittedly, the idea that someone can have a personality that “makes you want to bully them” is an idea I have difficulty wrapping my head around. It’s that implicitly sadistic reasoning that doesn’t jive with people who are strictly against bullying. The only way I can kind of see it is how some people are easy to tease because of how prudish they can be. 

I do understand the idea of humble-bragging in that it's in the same vein as people loudly sighing to elicit concern. It’s ultimately a cry for attention, but it doesn’t seem to be Hirasawa’s intention. Of course, since Tomoko has only seen her at her “scummiest”, it makes sense that Tomoko wouldn’t exactly see her in a positive light. 

Nah, if we’re being cynical, you’d be into shoujo manga because you’ve never been in their shoes.

It’s kind of a shame that despite having actual friends who like her for who she is, Tomoko still carries that pessimistic mentality about her public image. While she’s certainly not as self-conscious as she used to be, she hasn’t gone to the point where she can believe people could have a positive first impression of her.

Indeed, you could say that Tomoko only managed to sustain the friendships she’s made because they each have benefited her in some way. Conscious effort has never been the girl’s strong suit. 

I love how when Tomoko starts putting reality in the context of shoujo manga, her mind goes into disarray when trying to translate the multi-faceted ways of the real world into neatly summed up cliches. Goes to so that fiction should never, ever be a guidebook for reality. 

“Disgusting, disgusting.”

AWWWWWW...so she did give Yoshida a charm.

AWWWWWW...and Yoshida returned the favor with a gift of her own.

When, oh when will Tomoko finally admit that Yoshida is her friend?

One of the things I appreciate about Yoshida’s character is that they don’t ever invalidate the delinquent part of her when they emphasize her cute side. None of that “tough-girl-who’s-not-really-tough” shit happens here. Yoshida is a violent, temperamental delinquent who just happens to have an innocent heart. That thuggish side is always going be a genuine part of her personality, but it also makes her kindness much more meaningful since it requires a lot of effort on Tomoko’s part to reach it, which she ultimately succeeded in doing.

Is “Pudding-head” supposed to be a diss at Yoshida’s hairstyle? Not bad.

It isn’t always evident, but I do appreciate the fact that despite thinking Hirasawa is a potential slut, Tomoko still takes it upon herself to defend her, how little it may be. Her response is a little condescending, but then again, Tomoko tends to mildly abuse the little bit of authority that comes her way, so it makes sense character-wise.  

"DISGUSTING, DISGUSTING, DISGUSTING!”

I told myself I wasn’t going to go too deep into the semantics of this manga anymore, but...Yuri being so dismissive of non-friends by referring to them as “some” is so gloriously in-character of her.

I never thought I could say this someday but...yes.

Yes, she does.

Don’t take it personally, Hijirisawa. Yuri is not a malicious girl by any means, but unless one has managed to cut through her hard introverted exterior, Yuri just regards anybody else with massive disinterest. It’s really nothing new at this point, but viewing it from another character’s POV does highlight how Yuri’s apathy can be just as hurtful as it is endearing.  

Hmm, if what Hirasawa saying is true, then it’s safe to assume that her old friends weren’t directly bullying her and just began to ignore her out of spite. To put it rather darkly, I don’t believe Hirasawa would care so much about making female friends if they were bullying her to the point of misery. In short, it bothers her, but not debilitatingly so, which is why Tomoko has difficulty empathizing with her. 

I never get tired of Nemo’s Closed-Eyes-Angry-Smile Expression. 

And here we get the first glimpse into the Friendish Conflict between Yuri and Nemoto. From what it looks like, Nemo is going to routinely try to bait Yuri into responding in such a way that suggests a stronger friendship than they currently have. Of course, Yuri ain’t having none of that, opting to be her usual honest self and refusing to give Nemo any ammunition to trap her. As someone who finds Nemo to be more interesting when someone pushes the limits of her unmoving smile, I’m very curious to see how their dynamic will unfold. 

Uh...what? Nemoto knows her? Um...okay. 

Triggered.

I love how Nemo’s anger manifested in her usual smile wasn’t something that Tomoko alone picked up on. Apparently, it’s just as unnerving to everyone else is it is for her. At least Hirasawa didn’t have to face the devil’s spawn that is Nemo’s dull eyes of horror.

Despite how Nemo said she would start being more upfront with people, it appears that there are still times when Nemo will keep things to herself. That being, anything that would put her in a state of weakness. If she were to just come out and say that she’s bothered by how Tomoko forgot her at the entrance exam, that would mean presenting vulnerabilities that Tomoko or anyone else could use against her. For Hina Nemoto, her aggressiveness is a tool to mask her own inner turmoil. 

Hirasawa walks a very fine line with how she’s being presented here, and I believe that’s intentional. Thus far, she’s been continuously getting the short end of the stick, and a lesser manga could’ve have done this as a way to say, “it’s her own fault”. But even as she considered this, the manga doesn’t perpetuate that at all. Instead, Hirasawa is a victim of circumstance. She keeps meeting specific people in specific situations that aren’t really helpful. One of Watamote’s core themes has always been that popularity is not a good judge of character. Nice people and bad people can both be popular, and even if the rest of the cast sees her as the latter, Hirasawa is most definitely in the former. 

At least she doesn’t have the stereotypical shoujo heroine obliviousness. 

I swear, “Not that I care,” is going to be this series’ tsundere phrase.

Damn, Yuri’s insecurity levels shot through the roof. It would appear that eating lunch together is one of those small, friendship things that Yuri’s holds precious. As one of Yuri’s genuine faults, it’s definitely one that only gets improved with time. She can let Mako go off with Minami because her friendship with Mako is secure enough, but you’ve seen how frustrated Yuri got witnessing Tomoko getting all buddy-buddy with Nemo. It only makes sense that’s she be more threatened by it, even if it’s not really justified.

I feel bad I got more invested in the background conversation even though Hirasawa takes up half the panel...

A+ for effort, Tomoko.

This series has dramatic irony down pat, and by far, my favorite joke that uses this is when someone unfamiliar with Tomoko views her as this kind, pure-hearted girl when she so clearly is not. It works well because of the amount of truth it reveals. People like Tomoko tend to overcompensate their kindness when trying to avoid a situation, which is how Mako thought she was a kind person back in the toilet confrontation chapter.

This joke puts a twist on that because here, Tomoko is looking to gain something. But because she’s too straightforward to be manipulative, she simply speaks the truth, even when her inner monologue betrays her nastier intentions.  

C- for motivations. Classic Tomoko. 

Quite the turnaround, huh? The girl who would slut-shame the not-actually-sluts is now interested in their sexual escapades. I’ve mentioned it before, but I do appreciate how Tomoko no longer caring so much about how people perceive her has made her a lot more boldfaced. She doesn’t even care so much about her social standing dropping from the ire of first-years. It’s still scummy, as only Tomoko can, but at least she’s only scum where it’s already a garbage heap. 

Total annihilation in 3...2...1.

“DISGUSTING.”

As you might expect, this was a rather liberal translation that wasn’t nearly as aggressive in the original. In typical shoujo rival fashion, Ucchi said something along the lines of, “Don’t get carried away.” It can be assumed that the reader is aware of the cliche, which helps dilute the harshness and makes it a tad more comical. Of course, it’s the kind of thing that only works with Ucchi, who is pretty much a walking, yet three-dimensional punchline. You can’t help but feel bad for Hirasawa here, but at least her bully is a sexually-frustrated Emoji Girl who is too foolhardy to be truly threatening. Hardcore bullying has never been this manga’s style, and I’m sure it’ll never be.  

Can we have a Battle of the Kouhais now? Akari VS Hirasawa. 

Side note, I just started my first full-time job last week which, along with some lifestyle changes, will inevitably cause delays in my reviews. But as always, don’t worry about this series falling off the face of the Earth. I’ll be sticking with this manga to the very last chapter. Count on it.  

[watafan]

[watafan]