WataMote Chapter 202-1

Chapter 202-1
Information
Volume Number	22
Chapter Title	Because I'm Not Popular, I'll Start Shooting a Movie (Part 1)
Published	March 23, 2022
Previous Chapter	Chapter 201-2
Next Chapter	Chapter 202-2

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 chapter is the first installment of a two-parter that directly follows the events of the previous. The cover depicts the outside of the "PC Room," then Tomoko typing at a terminal. Hina approaches her from behind holding two cups of coffee from a café. "Working hard," she remarks. The next panel depicts Tomoko removing the top of the cup as she remarks that this is not the usual coffee and asks if it is not expensive. Smiling Chibi Hina replies that since she is using her head, something sweet is good.

Hina sits in a chair behind Tomoko and looks over her left shoulder. She asks if it is okay for her to look. Tomoko reacts then denies her request with the explanation that she needs to write a little more. Hina smiles sweetly and cutely as she declares that she will wait in eager anticipation. Inwardly, Tomoko wonders how a Cultural Festival film could so excite her and thinks if she was a male light novel writer, Hina would definitely be sleeping to get ahead.

Tomoko saves her work. At home that night, she resumes work on it. She inwardly confesses that she wrote all of it in a moment of enthusiasm but. . . . Sweating and blushing, she deems it really embarrassing to have calm people read and perform it, but she concedes that she does not have the time to get lost anymore and use that excuse. She rationalizes that she has only asked "Nemo" and if she only asks those who want to join it should be fine.

The next day at a convenience store, Tomoko has inserted a thumb drive into a computer to print. Behind her, Fūka browses magazines Closer behind her, Emiri watches thinking, "multiple copies? Digusting."

Bathed in the sunlight with animesque highlights, Shizuku checks herself in her mirror as she sits on the bench that surrounds the school tree she usually meets Tomoko at for lunch. In a sunbeam, Tomoko arrives and notes that Shizuku is already there and apologizes, but Shizuku closes her mirror and replies to "senpai" that she only just got here herself. Chibi Shizuka giggles as she notes that this is the seventh time they have met there. Chibi Tomoko weakly responds with a "E? Th-that so?" To herself, she sheepishly marvels that she has been keeping count.

After she sits next to her, Tomoko asks Shizuku how her festival is coming along. She eagerly responds that they have been going ahead with preparations for the idea Tomoko suggested. Smiling, but sweating a bit, she adds that since it is mostly the girls who are involved, she has not been really involved. Tomoko looks at her seriously as she thinks that it is just the way school festivals are: "It's only a small subsection of people that gets all excited about it. . . . Well, I'm set to become a part of that small subsection, though. . . ."

With a view of the tree's branches, Chibi Tomoko asks Shizuku to do a favor for her. Excited Chibi Shizuku clasps her hands over her senpai asking her something. Tomoko explains that she is thinking of beginning shooting the film for her class' festival today. Looking at Shizuku with a hint of vulnerability, Tomoko asks her if she will appear in it. This surprises Shizuku, who sweats, stammers she is willing to do it, but she then reminds her that she is not in Tomoko's class and is a first-year student. Tomoko accepts that this is normally down with people of one's own class, but with a smile as she produces a some paper, she continues that she felt it would be more interesting to do it with people she gets along with. She then reveals that she needs Shizuku to play an underclasswoman role. Clasping her hands to her chest, Shizuku, eagerly, agrees to help.

The next panel focuses on Tomoko handing her a folded script into her [Eager – Ed.] hands. Tomoko apologizes that it is just a beginning but it is something like a script. Shizuku squeals the question if Tomoko is sure she can read it.

Shizuku smiles as she reads. Next to her, Tomoko faces forward, but her eyes are turned to fix on Shizuku. She holds her knees, blushes deeply, and sweats. Shizuku brightly declares its "awesome," and suggests that Tomoko is a "pro." Tomoko looks down with a face WataMote Wiki cannot adequately describe as Shizuku continues to bubble that "senpai" has so much talent and the script is really interesting.

As a semi-chibi with the same face, Tomoko feels that asking her was probably the best move since she praises her no matter what. "If it was Yuri," she thinks as she imagines a Dour Chibi Yuri holding her script and stating that it is "fine, I guess," Yuri's weak reaction would have made her lose her motivation. "Nemo being Nemo," she continues as a Beaming Chibi Hina reveals that her script is similar to a lot of other works, "she'd probably say a bunch of unnecessary things."

Back to normal on the bench with the sunlight streaming on her, Tomoko confesses that Shizuku does not have a lot to do, but she asks her if she could come over after school. Shizuku agrees.

The scene shifts to a view of the sign for Class 3-5. Yuri looks with some surprise at the script while Mako happily looks on. In the next panel, Asuka happily reads her script next to Hina who looks at hers with some concern. From her desk while Itō looks on, Kotomi utters her patented "Hey," and asks why she is in it. She is sitting behind Yuri who is sitting in front of Tomoko who is standing behind the podium at the front of the class. Tomoko replies that she needed someone with glasses.

Over a view of a normal Hina holding her head in her hands and looking worried, Chibi Tomoko explains that the script calls for a glasses-wearing strait [wo – Ed.]man. "You may have a perverted personality, Komi-san, but you have the face of a straight-man." Chibi Kotomi demands to know what is the face of a straight-man. Tomoko replies that it is the face of someone likely to make retorts as seen in manga. While Chibi Kotomi demands to know what that means, Chibi Itõ shares the thought of Normal-but-Worried Hina that she understands what Tomoko means.

From her desk in front, Yuri asks Tomoko if it is okay to wait a second. Tomoko agrees, and with a view of the description of her character "Tanaka Mari (田中まり)," Yuri asks about her role. The description reads, "Ordinary Girl's Personality. Mako-san's image." Yuri curly asks Tomoko why she just does not get Mako to play the role; Tomoko replies that she believed it would be a good challenge for "Yuri-chan." Surrounded by animesque flowers, Asuka pleasantly notes that her character has some of "Tomo-chan's name," and she asks if she should base the character on Tomoko's image. Her description reads, "Katō Tomoka (加藤智香)" who is, "a little dark and gloomy girl." Bashful Chibi Tomoko holds the back of her head as she agrees if it makes it easier for Asuka she can base it on her.

"Want to see my basement, Nemoto-san?" – Asuka Katō

With some visible concern, Hina asks Asuka if her playing a "gloomy and dark girl" is "impossible"; Asuka, bathed in animesque highlights, stares at her with a smile and asked, "really?" Tomoko continues that in live action adaptions of manga they have models and idols play antagonists in gloomy settings, so this is the same thing.

Surrounded by barking mini-Godzillae, Hina demands to know why she is playing a character that has her real name, then insists it is a little different from her. The script describes her as an aspiring voice actress for ecchi games who attends a school for such specifically. Sheepish Chibi Tomoko insists that she can do it.

Facing the class which includes Shizuku, Tomoko explains to them that today they will just work together. She adds that if any of them think there is something wrong with her characters, she can make changes. Tomoko, Itō, and Shizuku arrange the desks into a long table so they can all sit around it. Tomoko explains that it is set in a club room so if they concentrate on the story developments there it will save time on relocation and editing.

Looking at her script, Hina insists she hold on. While the setting is one thing, with a shocked face and a bit of sweat as she reads, Hina continues to ask if her lines are safe to say in a school film. She explains that if it were televised, the words would be "bleeped" out. Sheepish Chibi Tomoko confesses she did not think of that, wonders if it will be checked first, then promises if it is no good, she will research how to add "bleeps."

Tomoko begins to direct them. She tells "Asuka" to act as if she is playing games on her phone, "Komi-san" should read manga, and "Nemo" Outside the classroom, Yuri waits at the door whilst Mako reads that she needs to be out of breath and open the door apologizing for being late with a smile.

Though her phone, Tomoko focuses on the trio sitting at the desks. She normally assures then that this is not the real film, "but let's film."

Stammering a bit, she softly asks, "R-Ready?"

Characters

In order of appearance:

• Tomoko Kuroki
• Hina Nemoto
• Fūka Sasaki
• Emiri Uchi
• Shizuku Hirasawa
• Yuri Tamura
• Mako Tanaka
• Asuka Katō
• Kotomi Komiyama
• Hikari Itō

Referbacks and Forwards

• "Isn't that pricey coffee rather than the usual kind?": As noted in many chapters such as Chapter 192-2, Tomoko prefers black coffee.
• "A gross store to spend the while": The store where Tomoko photocopies the script is the same one where she spent time with Miyazaki, Reina, and Fūka in Chapter 199.
• "For SCIENCE!": In Chapter 199, Fūka consulted magazines for information with regards to sex in the same store.
• "The seven dates meetings with senpai": Shizuku apparently keeps count of how many times she has met with Tomoko for lunch in the courtyard. From the Credit Where Credit is Due Department, editor HokageUzumaki performed the counting and notes that they met in Chapters 132, 134, 149, 162, 184-2, 192-1, and this one.
• Suggestion: Tomoko suggested that Shizuku recommend her class do "(Carnal k-pop style idols, guaranteed to blow up on Instagram, real deal absolutely not allowed) Ultra spicy Maid Cafe (Pervy Style)" in Chapter 192-1. Whether or not Shizuku's class will do all of that remains to be seen.
• "However": Since Chapter 132, it has been known that Shizuku has no female friends in her class, and the possible reason for this is that her female classmates hate her because her popularity with boys. However, thus far Shizuku still has the same boyfriend she had since middle school, and despite her concession that he is a loser, she seems quite devoted to him.
• "Yankee" Wisdom: Masaki suggested that school festivals involve cliques in the previous chapter.
• Emoji Mark-III: This particular look Tomoko makes in response to Shizuku's praise is similar to the one she made when she tried to avoid facing the responsibility of producing a film as the days ticked away in Chapter 196.
• "A Girl Does Not have a [Kanji – Ed.] Name!": WataMote Wiki can only speculate why "Yuri's" actual "Yuri" has as yet never been revealed. Characters speak and write her surname in kanji but her first in the hiragana.

Cultural References

• Preparation H: Ecchi definition.

Trivia

• Stairway to Seven: it is apparently the seventh time Tomoko and Shizuku met for lunch.

Memorable Moments

• "PHOTOGRAPH! I Don't Want キモい": Work with WataMote Wiki here . . . Emiri most likely assumes that Tomoko is making multiple copies of something salacious.
• "SPECTRE Does NOT Tolerate Failure, Tomoko! You Know the Penalty!": While much of the series deals with Tomoko's fears of rejection, she has achieved a better approach to the anxiety of rejection of her work which all artists face. She shows improved self-knowledge when she executes her plan to let others see her script knowing immediate criticism would destroy her confidence.
• "A Megane Girl has a Name!": Tomoko usually derisively refers to Kotomi as "Komisomething" or other demeaning terms even to others. She now at least publicly addresses her as "Komi-san." Which means she also gives her a bit of a nickname.
• "A Top-Tier Girl has a Name!": Since Chapter 175-2 when Asuka asked her to call her by first name without honorifics, Tomoko has struggled to do it, such as by becoming nervous and stuttering as in Chapter 184-2, barely doing it on the phone and without looking at her face in Chapter 186-2, thinking it only to add the suffix "-san" in Chapter 193, and finally thinking it more naturally in Chapter 200-1. This time, even if it was just either because she was too immersed in making the movie, or because she was looking her through a camera, Tomoko naturally publicly addresses Asuka by first name without any honorific.
• "Far Too Familiar!": on the above note, WataMote Wiki has frequently pontificated on Tomoko's use of honorifics, her irritation when others address her without them, et cetera ad nauseam as described on the relevant character pages. In this chapter, she not only publicly addresses Asuka with just her first name without stammering, she addresses Hina by the nickname she wants, calls Yuri "Yuri-chan," but addresses Mako as "Tanaka-san." Asuka address Tomoko by the nickname they agreed upon: "Tomo-chan."

Quotes

• "Isn't that pricey coffee rather than the usual kind?" – Tomoko Kuroki
  • "It's better to have something sweet when using your brain, right?" – Hina Nemoto
• "She's being so flirtatious just from me working on the film scenario for the school festival... If I were a light novel author, she'd definitely be trying to sleep her way to the top..." – Tomoko about Hina
• "I wrote all of this in a bout of enthusiasm, but.... Now I've calmed down, the thought of people reading this and acting it out is really embarrassing. I guess I no longer have the luxury of saying things like that, though... Besides, I still haven't asked anyone besides Nemo to be in this thing yet... It should be fine if I aske people who are likely to join in..." – Tomoko Kuroki.
• "This is the seventh time we've met up here, huh, senpai?" – Shizuku Hirasawa
  • "Eh!? Is that so?" She's been keeping count...? – Tomoko
• "How is the festival coming along?" – Tomoko
  • "Ah, it's going well. We've been going ahead with preparations for that idea you suggested a while back, senpai. However, it's mostly the girls at the center of it all, so I haven't really gotten all that involved..." – Shizuku
• "That's just the way school festivals are... It's only a small subsection of people that gets all excited about it... Well, I am set to become a part of that small subsection, though..." – Tomoko
• "Hey, um, I've got a favor to ask of you...” – Tomoko
  • "Eh!? You're asking me, senpai!? Sure! Ask me anything!" – Shizuku
• "Amazing! You're like a pro! You have so much talent, senpai!! It's really interesting!!" – Shizuku to Tomoko
• "Asking Shizuku first really was the berst move. She praises me no matter what. If it were Yuri, her weak reaction would've made me lose my motivation. And knowing Nemo, she'd probably say a bunch of unnecessary things" – Tomoko
• "I needed someone with glasses."– Tomoko to Kotomi Komiyama
• "The script calls for a glasses-wearing straight man. You may have a perverted personality, Komi-san, but you've got one of those straight man faces" – Tomoko to Kotomi
• "It's about my role. Why don't you just get Mako to play it?" – Yuri
  • "I figured it'd be good for you to challenge yourself with it. Yuri-chan" – Tomoko
• "My role has a bit of your name in it, Tomo-chan. Should I base it on your image?" – Asuka Katō
  • "Ah, erm, if that makes things easier for you, I guss you could base it on me" – Tomoko
• "Katō-san playing a gloomy and dark girl is impossible?" – Hina Nemoto
  • "Really?" – Asuka
• "And why am I the only one whose name and such are exactly the same? Besides one clearly wrong part, I mean" – Hina
  • "Because she aims to be a voice actress for ecchi games, she attends an ecchi voice actor academy." – Character Description
  • "I figured you could wing it as is, Nemo" – Tomoko
• "This is technically set in a clubroom, so I figured that if we mostly centered the story developments around here, I'd save time on relocation and editing" – Tomoko to WataGirls
• "The setting is one thing, but are my lines safe to use in a school film? If this were to be televised, these words would be bleeped for sure." – Hina
  • "Now that you mention it, I haadn't thought about that. I wonder if they'll be checking it over first. Well, if it's no good, I'll just look up how to add bleeps." – Tomoko

Gallery

Original Art from Nico Tanigawa Twitter

Shown: Shizuku
Because Shizuku

Shown: "Emoji Mark-III"

Tomoko addresses Asuka as "Asuka"