WataMote Volume 18 Special Edition

Special Edition
Information
Volume	Volume 18
Title	Special Edition
Published	10 July 2020
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私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い!

Watashi ga Motenai no wa dō Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!

No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys' Fault I’m Not Popular!

Synopsis

This is a self-satire and "what if." The first part is drawn in the "4-Koma" layout with each page titled.

WataMote!

In their classroom, Tomoko startles and tells Hina that she feels they are now in a "4-Koma World." Hina has not idea what she is talking about, but Tomoko insists that it seems that they are in one of Hina's ideal moe 4-Koma. She points out Yuri standing looking out a window and describes her as a silent character from a moe manga. Hina still insists she notices nothing different as Tomoko suddenly declares that the flow of the world forces her to commit sexual harassment even though she does not want to as she gropes the shocked Yuri from behind.

Hina insists that she always does that.

Nasal Bone

Yuri punches backwards, smashing Tomoko's nose. Tomoko announces as blood flows freely, that they must be in a moe manga since her sexual harassment of Yuri led to "heavy violence." Tomoko waves off Hina's concern that in a moe manga, a nosebleed will look worse than it is, until she realizes that her nose is broken.

Responsibility

Yuri calmly apologize to Tomoko and notes that she normally does not try to hit a person in the face, but Tomoko interrupts her to agree that even "Yuri-chan" would not smash in her face. Still bleeding, Tomoko assures her that since they are in a moe manga, she will be fine in the morning. Hina insists that since her nose is broken, she needs to see a doctor. Yuri offers to pay for any plastic surgery, which Hina deems are not words you find in a moe manga.

If All Guys Disappeared from the World

Akane arrives with Wada and tells Hina that she was looking for her. She explains that she cannot find Yoshinori or Suzuki. Tomoko notes that she has not seen any guys about. She speculates that with the moefication of the world, all guys have disappeared. When Hina asks about Wada, Tomoko explains that shota characters, like little brothers, are immune.

Verbal Tic

Masaki cuddles a cat, bathed in anime light. When she sees Tomoko and Hina watching her, she blushes and angrily demands to know why they are looking at her. Tomoko calmly observes that Masaki is 30% more moe than usual. Hina thinks that she does seem more playful than girls in the area as Mako looks happy behind her. Masaki demands they answer her.

Kii-San

While Hina and Tomoko sit in a classroom, Kii appears behind them and greets "onēchan." Tomoko is surprised to see her, and Kii explains that she wanted to attend the same school. Tomoko tells her to never mind her uniform, she wants to know why Kii is so much taller. Kii explains that in order to enter high school, she forced her body to grow. Screaming, Tomoko rhetorically asks if this is some Hunter X Hunter world where she can do that. In response, Kii calmly explains that her body will deteriorate once school ends that day. Tomoko deems that "scary!"

Onēsan's Knowledge

Hina asks if Kii is Tomoko's sister. Tomoko corrects her whilst conceding the resemblance as Kii formally introduces herself. Kii then asks if she is "Nemoto-san." When Hina asks her how she knows her, Kii further explains that when her body grew she acquired Tomoko's memories, which Tomoko finds further scary. Kii then notes that Hina wishes to become a voice actress, which she can tell since Hina's voice is so pretty. Flattered, Hina thanks her. Kii then takes on an intense but blank expression as she claims she knows that voices come from Hina's hymen.

Ucchī

As Tomoko walks with Hina in a hallway, Uchi stops Tomoko. Tomoko notices that Uchi seems, "somehow more deformed (デフォルメ・deforume) than usual." Uchi responds with her signature "キモい" then "Kuroki." As she repeats the words, Tomoko demands to know if she has become so stupid she can only say those two words. Hina suggests that that is nothing different, and Tomoko asks Hina when she started saying mean things, as Uchi sniffs at her repeating "disgusting," "Kuroki."

The Dick Role

Tomoko suggests to Hina that they are in a dōjin. She then startles, turns, and lifts her skirt to look at herself. She turns relieved to Hina explaining that she thought she grew a dick since, if they are in a dōjin, she would have a 20% chance of growing one. Hina asks her if she is stupid, then mutters that she really does not understand Tomoko's claim.

Bottom

Tomoko continues that if she was a futanari then they would be in a manga where she would have to rape Hina. While Hina replies that Tomoko does not make sense, she inwardly wonders if futanari is from that eroge where a girl grew one.

While Hina thinks, Tomoko notices Futaki approaching bathed in anime light. Her eyes have changed, and Tomoko thinks that this world has changed her face into an anime character design. Meanwhile, Hina continues to muse that, if she recalls the eroge correctly, the protagonist impregnated a girl. When Tomoko touches her to direct her attention to Futaki, Hina hits her and screams "Don't touch me!"

Lewder That Usual

The two see Asuka with her head on her desk sleeping. She is bathed in anime light, and as the panels focus on her sleeping face, then her thighs, Tomoko grabs her groin in pain. Hina acidly tells her to give the joke a rest.

With the next page, Tomoko startles and announces that she feels that the 4-Koma World is over. She asks Hina what it was like to be in her ideal Moe 4-Koma World. Hina thinks and states it is different than what she expected. Tomoko admits that she sees what Hina means.

The arc is followed by a black-and-white sketch of Tomoko similar to the cover.

What if I wasn't Popular and became a Delinquent?

With dyed, possibly silver, hair, Tomoko crouches next to Anna Haruna with Reina and Masaki close by. Tomoko thinks to herself that while she knew that she never wanted to be a loner, she never imagined that she would become a delinquent. As two anonymously-drawn girls avoid them, Tomoko admits to herself that being part of a delinquent group protects her from being bullied. However, she continues to herself, she could become the group's "gofer" as she imagines herself rushing to provide the others with their favorite magazines and juices. Regarding the others, Tomoko concludes that Anna is the leader, and since Reina is the tallest, she must have the second position.

This leaves Masaki for her to challenge. As they ascend the stairs to the school, Tomoko realizes that she cannot beat Masaki with violence, and she does not appear to have any weaknesses until she sees Masaki's panties, which she quickly photographs with her phone. She starts teasing Masaki for her "kitty" panties which generates the expected violent response. As Masaki stomps on Tomoko, Anna scolds her to stop since Tomoko's eyes are turning white.

Afterwards, a servile Tomoko presents Masaki with a picture of a cat she took to Masaki's approval.

If I wasn't Popular and Joined Kibako's Group

Tomoko, with shorter hair, stands on a staircase inside the school with Yuri, Mako, Minami, and Sachi. Tomoko wonders how she became a part of a group of girls with terrible personalities. Sachi talks about a girl Mio she has known since middle school who is entering high school. She shows a picture of her to Minami who laughs at how she looks like an otaku. When Sachi continues to describe Mio as a liar in middle school, Mako pleasantly interrupts to ask Minami if she saw the show about being transformed in a month. Minami eagerly answers that she did, found it amazing, but doubts that one can do that with just make-up and not plastic surgery. Meanwhile, Sachi falls silent. Mako insists that they can with contour make-up.

Sachi then reenters the conversation to suggest that one does not have to transform to debut in high school, then suggests that Tomoko's skirt is too long for high school. Minami agrees that it is lame. Inwardly, Tomoko notes that she is now the target. She thinks that Sachi is looking down on her and accidently "thinks outloud" and says that since her face is so featureless, Sachi should get plastic surgery to people will actually remember her.

Sachi startles, but Minami looks at Tomoko with excitement. Sweating, Tomoko realizes she spoke outloud. However, Minami laughs at her insult and, for her part, Sachi simply smiles and rhetorically asks if "Koharu-chan" thinks the same way. Yuri lets out a snicker to Mako's surprise. Clasping her hands, Sachi pleasantly responds, "So that's what you think of me, Kuroki-chan." Tomoko finds her expression freaks her out, but also believes she is actually angry.

Tomoko announces that she should go home. Inwardly, she feels that it is tiring to act in this fashion every day, and she would prefer to simply be a loner. Her thoughts are interrupted by Yuri who asks her if she wants to go home with her and Mako. She agrees, and her narration states that not long after, their group broke down, but she became friends with Yuri and Mako.

If I became One of the Top-Tier Girls

Shown: かわいいいいいい！

Sweating a bit, Tomoko stands with Fūka Sasaki, Miho Narita, and Asuka who are happily chatting. She wears a short skirt – with tasteful nylons! – and has short dyed – possibly silver – hair. Miho turns to Tomoko and compliments her on her look. She suggests that Tomoko did what she told her to do, and Tomoko, sweating, admits that she did. With a depiction of a short-haired Tomoko made up by Asuka, Chibi Miho happily suggests that Asuka's make-up did not suit her, though it was funny. Chibi Asuka sheepishly protests that she thought it was cute. A chibi Fūka looks at Tomoko and suggests that it must be a pain for her to do her make-up every morning. Tomoko thinks that she feels the same way, but chibi Miho tells Fūka to shut up since she could not sit back and do nothing.

A group of anonymously drawn "Hot Guys" approach them. One asks Miho to lend him her Japanese textbook. She jokingly refuses and suggests he borrow it from Asuka. The girls and guys banter and tease each other back and forth; Tomoko merely muses that strangers keep approaching her since she is in this group. The anonymous Hot Guy with black hair asks Tomko to exchange Line with him. She agrees as she thinks that maybe one of these strangers will come for her. Sitting at her desk her phone beeps with a message asking if she is free the following weekend. Tomoko looks at the phone, thinks it is "yet another guy," then supposes that she has become popular simply by being part of the "top tier group." Tomoko wonders if this is like the desire to cheer the lowest ranking member of an idol group, but it should make dating and losing her virginity easy.

Nevertheless, at home, Tomoko sits playing video games thinking that rather than hanging with guys she does not know, she has more fun sitting in her room reading manga and playing video games. She muses that at home she is a mess otaku girl, while at school, she is a popular top-tier girl. She feels like she is in the setting of a shōjo manga she read. As she continues playing, she thinks that the "me" from the past, if she could see her from another reality, would probably vomit.

"Thinking about that makes it hard to enjoy this lifestyle. . . ."

Character Introductions

After a quick view of Tomoko wondering about her changes from CHAPTER, a complex Relationship Chart details Tomoko's relationship with a number of characters. A page reviewing Tomoko's progress from her start of high school until current time follows, then her Character Page with statistics. These consist of a scene of the character, name with nicknames, a brief description, character statistics, pictures of the character's face with a description, then a Profile that lists the height, body type, blood type, habitate or "favorite place," likes, hates, hobbies, and skills. Along with Tomoko, there are pages for:

• Akari Iguchi
• Megumi Imae
• Emiri Uchi
• Asuka Katō
• Tomoki Kuroki
• Kotomi Komiyama
• Kiko Satozaki
• Mako Tanaka
• Yuri Tamura
• Yū Naruse
• Hina Nemoto
• Shizuku Hirasawa
• Shiki Futaki
• Masaki Yoshida

Characters

In order of appearance:

• Tomoko Kuroki
• Hina Nemoto
• Yuri Tamura
• Wada
• Akane Okada
• Yoshinori Kiyota (mentioned)
• Suzuki (mentioned)
• Masaki Yoshida
• Mako Tanaka
• Kiko Satozaki
• Emiri Uchi
• Shiki Futaki
• Asuka Katō
• Reina
• Anna Haruna
• Masaki Yoshida
• Sachi Mima
• Mio (mentioned)
• Koharu Minami
• Fūka Sasaki
• Miho Narita
• Takashi (mentioned)

References

Since this is a satirical treatment, there are not so much "Referbacks" as "References" to previous events.

• "I Don't Want to Do This": Asuka made the same statement before groping Tomoko in Chapter 175-2.
• Tomoko demonstrated to Hina what eroge actually is in Chapter 139, and Hina reveals she actually played an eroge game in Chapter 144 for purely research purposes, of course.
• Hina goaded Tomoko into wearing a short skirt in Chapter 148.
• "The Lady Smiles": Yuri laughs when Tomoko calls Minami "Little-Fanged Bitch" (kibako・キバコ) in Chapter 117.
• "I Put on Some Make-Up!": Asuka did Tomoko's make-up, which generated suppressed laughter from Hina and ridicule from Minami, in Chapter 135. That chapter has Tomoko wander off to the bathroom to see how she looks. We have yet to see what her reaction was.
  • "I've Got Your Picture!": Minami keeps a picture of her with her make-up on her phone which Uchi, in Chapter 156, asks for a copy of for completely innocent research purposes, probably.
  • "I thought it was cute": this alternative timeline chapter suggests that Asuka actually thought her make-up skills worked on Tomoko. She does overhear Minami's ridicule of Tomoko's make-up.
  • "That was you, wasn't it, Asuka-chan": in Chapter 170, Yū tells Asuka about when Tomoko sent her a photo after she got made up by Asuka.
• Virginity: Tomoko has expressed the desire to have a boyfriend, and her public announcement reproduced in her Statistics page in this Special Edition is one of her infamous "cringe moments" in the manga and anime. Losing-Virginity-as-Rite-of-Passage is a tried and true trope in literature all over the world; in WataMote, Tomoko has only seriously mentioned it in Chapter 55 for Tanabata where she hangs a wish in the highest part of tree: "I want to lose my virginity in a year so I don't lose track of my bigger goals." Though she did try to tease Uchi over her virginity, and she and Hina had a recent spat over both of their attempts to act "experienced." That being written, it is interesting that "Top-Tier Tomoko," who has every opportunity to date and lose her virginity, still prefers to be alone.
• "Only grade schoolers wear those these days": In Chapter 84, Tomoko comments on Masaki's underwear since she saw them during Kyōto trip. She sees them once more in Chapter 118 when both them were on staircase.
• Valor Morghulis!: though Tomoko's insult to the "Faceless Girl," Sachi is perhaps a foreshadowing to her later appearances – Arg! Spoiler There Be!

Cultural References

• Yonkoma (4コマ) "4-Koma" Format
• Hunter X Hunter
• "This is one of those H*nter X Hunt*r worlds where you can do that!?": It's probable that that the skill which Tomoko was talking about is Gon's Nen from Hunter X Huner manga, one of unknown type, which allows him to grow up his body size.

Trivia

• As usual, the kanji for "mourning" (喪) is used rather than "chapter."
• デフォルメ refers to the distortion of characters as a caricature in manga.
• In Megumi Imae's profile, it's revealed that one of her skills is playing piano. Curiously, in Episode 11, after Megumi hugs Tomoko and gives her a balloon, the ending theme Sokura no Kigurumi no Fūsen to Watashi starts to sound which opens with a piano. This detail may be a reference to this moment of the series.

Memorial Moments

• Voices from Hina's Gateway to Her Road to a Christening: WataMote Wikia does not even. . . .
• Masaki Likes Pus[Stop that! – Ed.] . . . er . . . Cats: Masaki's love of "cute" things is known, including her kitten panties and her desire for a stuffed cat doll similar if not the same as the one depicted on her panties in this Edition, but this is the first time she is seen liking and cuddling actual cats.
• Popular?: in the 'what if" where Tomoko is a popular girl in the "top-tier," as she hoped for in the beginning of the series, she still prefers being a "messy otaku girl."

Quotes

• "See? Since it's a moe manga, my sexual harassment leads to heavy violence." – Tomoko Kuroki
• "I thought I grew a dick." – Tomoko
• "Y'know, since your face is pretty featureless, maybe you should get plastic surgery so people will actually remember you." – Tomoko to Sachi

Gallery

Cover Page

Tomoko Relationship Chart

Japanese Original