[Anime Review] Dive into the Insanity that is WataMote

The story of a teenage girl in her first year of high school who doesn't have any friends. We've seen that trope trotted out a million times, but this one was extremely different. I've honestly had a hard time figuring this one out and what to really say. This adaptation of Nico Tanigawa original 4-panel manga is polarizing to say the least.

At times it's not easy to watch, at other times you can point and say "Oh god, I've been there before!" and sometimes you just end up cringing and squirming in your seat. It's a mixed bag, but it's an honest one. Sure, some of the scenes are a bit exaggerated but there's still truth to it.

Hoping that her popularity will soar, due to the examples in so many manga and anime series out there that she's read, once she's reached high school, things don't' work out exactly as planned or she envisions. Some of it's heart breaking and sometimes you wanna slap the shit out of her for what she ends up doing. It's a very mixed bag in that respect.

Outside of that, the voice acting by Izumi Kitta as Tomoko is insanely good, she literally has to carry the whole show and does a great job of it. Equally impressive are some of the visuals and the music that really capture things nicely when necessary. Not to mention that opening is crazy good and so symbolic of things.

• Genre: Slice of Life/Black Comedy
• Length: 12ep
• Rating: 7.5/10
• Recommendation: This one's tough, but anyone that's been in similar situations will get a kick out of some things and relate fairly well to what Tomoko is going through. Overall though, this one's going to be a very hit or miss affair. Some will love it, some will hate it. 
• Where to watch: Crunchyroll

 Now, on with the rest of it!

As I said above, this one isn't easy. Sure, it's a comedy, but it's also a tragedy that puts things squarely into the "dark comedy" arena of things. The story itself revolves around Tomoko, aka Mokocchi, and her struggles to gain popularity throughout her first year of high school. Something that she's sure will happen since it always seems to in manga, games and anime.

However, sometimes it's just not that easy and she often finds herself getting in the way of her own ambition. Often she turns out to be her own worst enemy and her thoughts project outwards.

While she definitely has some severe social anxiety issues, she's not completely helpless. True to life, she can interact with those she's comfortable with, mostly her family. Though, even that's not exactly a cake walk.

Younger brother and forced confidant, Tomoki, doesn't understand her at all. Not hard since she's definitely lonely and a little deranged with her line of thinking, but he does what any brother would do, he listens. Granted it does take her taking some pretty drastic measures to get him to do even that, but he does it. It seems as if there's some sense of wanting to help or at least trying, even though she's a major bother. 

The rest of the family isn't really seen too much outside of their mother so it's hard to gauge the interaction level, though it does seem like she's not pleased with Tomoko's lifestyle or behavior. Her father also isn't seen much outside of a rather touching moment that shows he understands a little somewhat, I think. 

Outside of her home, Tomoko does have one friend. Yu, a nerdy and quiet girl from her class in middle school that she seems to be able to talk to. Even more impressive, she can have fun with her too. However, even this relationship gets strained a bit as she dives deeper into desperation and delusion. Though the fact that she calls her "my bitch friend" quite often is a pretty good hint at her thought process, even with those closer to her. Showing once again, that sometimes your own worst enemy is yourself. 

Regardless, Yu stands by her and is always just a phone call away. Sure, sometimes it can be awkward, but she accepts Tomoko for who she is and enjoys their time together. Definitely a departure from the rest of the interactions in the show. Well, save for when her younger cousin, Ki, comes to visit. Though even that has issues.

As you can guess from all of that, a lot of the humor comes from Tomoko's attempts at bettering herself and putting herself out there to achieve popularity with everyone else in school. Sure, sometimes her thoughts and actions are definitely disturbing and deranged, but one has to remember that even the simplest of things. The simple tasks of ordering at a fast food place or saying goodbye at the end of the day at school are difficult for her due to the social interaction. So unsure of herself and her place in the world, she trips things up and goes on the defensive in her own mind. It can't be her that's the problem...it has to be everyone else.  

Even still, she manages to find solace with herself at times. She's got hope that things will turn around and some even try to break through, those who see that she's just struggling with life.  Which is the root of the thing, the fact that she's been misunderstood and isolated (by her own doing much of the time) hasn't helped the matter either.

I won't go into too much more but there are couple pleasant surprises, one I'm sure that will get expanded upon in future seasons.

That said, she's not one to give up easily. She keeps trying and trying to break through and you have to admire that. Sure, her thoughts and methods are completely and utterly deranged at times and it's hard to watch but I kept finding myself rooting for the girl. You just want to reach out and give her a hug, that is if she'd let you and not break out into hysterics or who knows what. 

Again, the voice acting and artwork are great, especially the facial expressions of Tomoko. Some of those are down right hysterical and the use of color and other elements really put you in touch with how she views the world. The music is also great, it goes all over the board from lighthearted elation to moody and strange, illustrating her moods and feelings nicely with what's on screen. This is a very deep, disturbing and humorous look into life and mind of the main character and everything plays a part to illustrate that fact.

In the end, this one is tough. It's a story of a young girl trying to find herself, accept herself and figure out life. Of course she's misguided and confused about what to do given her social anxiety, but in the end it seems as if she's either got a grip on things or has further delved into her own insanity. I'll leave that for you to decide on your own. Again, you'll either love it or hate it, but if you're looking for something that's vastly different than many other shows out there, give it a shot.