Yū Naruse

Yū Naruse
Information
Title	Tomoko's Best Friend
Nickname	Yū-chan (Tomoko Kuroki) Naru-chan (Miho Narita)
Gender	Female
Hair	Black (natural) Honey (dyed)
Eyes	Brown
Family Members
Unnamed Uncle Unnamed Father Unnamed Mother
Voice Actor
Kana Hanazawa (Japanese) Emily Neves (English)

Yū Naruse (成瀬 優, Naruse Yū^?) had been Tomoko Kuroki's best friend in middle school, and she still calls Tomoko by her nickname she gave her: "Mokocchi." An unfashionable girl in middle school, Yū greatly changed her looks before entering high school and has a boyfriend when Tomoko meets her again. These changes prove a source of discontent for Tomoko.

She is 15 years old at the start of WataMote and her birthday is March 3rd which, according to Chapter 36, is a week after Tomoko's birthday. Given that she appears about a half-a-head taller than Tomoko, she appears to be 5'4".

She is the main character in the spin-off manga Watashi no Tomodachi ga Motenai no wa Dō Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui, often shortened by fans to "TomoMote."

Overview

In middle school, Yū was Tomoko's best and possibly only friend. Initially a awkward looking girl, she enters high school with contact lenses, honey-dyed hair, and larger breasts much to Tomoko's jealously. Despite her radical makeover and having a boyfriend, Yū still regards Tomoko as her best friend. She is aware of the conflict between Tomoko and Kotomi but tries to bring them together.

Personality

Yū initially appears a naïve but very kind girl;  however, she knows more than she lets on. In middle school, she had long black hair in a braid with glasses. On entering high school, she changed herself in many ways to fit in with her high school classmates, deciding that growing up and adjusting to society is better than falling behind. Still, she still enjoys hobbies like watching anime, and she still considers Tomoko her best friend. Tomoko frequently, in her mind, "sexually harasses" Yū through jokes such as word games only to discover Yū has more knowledge and actual experience. On Tomoko's 16th birthday, Yū asks her the definition of a lewd act, rendered as "XXX" in the manga, and after Tomoko gives the answer, "It's when a guy uses that to do that with that for that," Yū explains a "friend" said it to her. She then whispers into Tomoko's ear a number of things her "friend" has done which leaves Tomoko both suprised, satisfied, and concluding that she needs to grow up. In another infamous exchange, Yū slyly implies to Tomoko and Kotomi that she is no longer a virgin.

In more recent chapters, Yū demonstrates her insight into people. She initially appears oblivious to Tomoko and Kotomi's rivalry; however, it becomes clear as she forces them to enjoy time together that she simply politely ignored their conflicts. When in Chapter 124 Yuri Tamura meets her, shows jealousy of her friendship with Tomoko, and reacts by trying to embarrass Tomoko, Yū politely ignores Yuri's behavior. Instead, she seeks out Yuri before she can leave to get her Line account and implies she wants to talk with Yuri more. Yuri is left concluding that Yū is a kind person unlike Tomoko and her. For her part, Tomoko wonders if Yuri can handle a girl who already adds "chan" to the end of her name.

Appearance.

Yū's full high school appearance.

Yū's appearance changed between middle school and high school. Her middle school appearance is depicted in the manga in a number of flashbacks, the first of which occurs in Chapter 3, TomoMote, and WataMote Episode 13. She had long, black hair tied in braids that sometimes reached all the way to her ankles with straight bangs. She appears to be left handed. She wore square glasses. She also wore a sailor fuku outfit with a long skirt that reached her knees. According to Tomoko, both she and Yū had the same in chest size in middle school. When Tomoko first meets Yū again in Chapter 3, she is stunned that Yū has shorter, bleached hair, wears contacts, changed her clothing style, and developed significantly more than she has. Yū now wears a school uniform that consists of a white collared shirt with a green bow, a short dark-brown skirt, and black thigh-high socks. The socks allow her to wear the shorter skirt, and Tomoko wonders if Yū is trying to "seduce" her by wearing a mini skirt. Tomoko also noted her new appearance as "slutty-looking," in English as a translation for the Japanese for "bitch," which has a different connotation than in English, and means a popular and sexually active girl.

Anime

• Season 1: Episodes 2, 3, 4, 9, 12, OVA

Manga: WataMote

• Volume 1: Chapters 3, 8,
• Volume 2: Chapters 12, 14
• Volume 3: Chapters 20, 21, 24,
• Volume 4: Chapters 29, 30, 31, 33, 36,
• Volume 5: Chapters 37, 46
• Volume 6: Chapters 47, 51, 54, Special, Omake
• Volume 7: Chapters 56, 57, 62, 64, 65, Omake
• Volume 8: Chapters 70, 71, 77
• Volume 9: Chapters 78, 83, 84, Special
• Volume 10: Chapters 93, Special
• Volume 11: Chapters 100, Special
• Volume 12: Chapters 110, 112, 113, 120, 121,
• Volume 13: Chapters 124, 130, 130.5
• Volume 14: Chapters 133, 136, 137, 138, 140
• Volume 15: Chapter 143
• Volume 16: Chapters 151, 155, 157, 158, 159
• Volume 17: Chapters 161, 163, 164, 166, 167, 168
• Volume 18: Chapters 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175-1, 175-2, Omake
• Volume 19: Chapters 180, 182, 184-1, 189, 192-1, 192-2

Manga: TomoMote

• Volume 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
• 10th Anniversary
• Special-1

(Strikethrough episodes or chapters indicate the character was mentioned but did not make a physical appearance)

Relationships

Tomoko Kuroki

Tomoko and Yū have been best friends since middle school. They parted ways after graduation and now attend different high schools. Tomoko implies that Yū was never a good student, and in a flashback, describes Yū's stunned look at the end of the her high school entrance exam, with typical Tomoko tact, as if she had "been raped." They still remain close and make time to meet up occasionally. Unbeknown to Yū, Tomoko harbors some jealousy toward her because of how much she has matured since middle school, appearing to have more friends and even a boyfriend.

Kotomi Komiyama

Kotomi has known Yū since middle school. Yū treasures her relationship with Kotomi and was pleased to see her after they graduated middle school. Kotomi likes to hang out with Yū and decides to tolerate Tomoko's presence because of it. Yū tries to prod Kotomi and Tomoko together.

Asuka Katō

Yū meets Asuka through Tomoko when both arrive at Tomoko's home to help her dye her hair; however, Asuka has heard about her through Tomoko. Specifically, she knows Tomoko would "sexually harass her," which led to her offering Tomoko to touch her breasts during a study period, and she knows that Yū is the only one Tomoko called during her suspension. Asuka, in her own way, becomes a bit jealous and self-conscious around Yū. She will later ask to walk alone with Yū and suggests that Tomoko relies more on Yū than her. Yū explains that Tomoko fears letting Asuka see her weak points. They become friends particularly when Yū agrees to let Asuka direct her study for college entrance exams. The results tend to leave Yū stunned and "bleached," speaking like a robot. Yū will attend the Summer Study Camp with Asuka, Tomoko, and others. During this period, she studies with Asuka, Fūka Sasaki, and Miho Narita. When Asuka asks them why it appears, to her, that Tomoko is closer to them than to her, Yū suggests that Asuka does not reveal her vulnerable points to Tomoko.

Fūka Sasaki

Yū meets Fūka at the Summer Study Camp. To Fūka's irritation, Yū explains to Asuka why Tomoko seems uncomfortable around her by comparing how she hides her flaws from Tomoko unlike Fūka. However, Chapter 189 reveals that she studies with Fūka under Asuka's direction. When in that chapter Yū learns that Tomoko claimed she sent her a picture of the Matrimonial Peacemaker, Fūka, as part of her effort to appear experienced, invites Yū to send such to her. Fūka will later boast to Tomoko that Yū is sending her all of the Matrimonial Peacemaker pictures she use to send to Tomoko.

Trivia

• She and Tomoko both enjoy anime and manga.
• Chapter 100 hints that she lost her virginity during her second year of high school.
• In Volume 11 Special Edition, in response to the challenge by Tomoko to buy a useless gift for Christmas in an outing with her, Tomoko, and Kotomi, she buys a pack of condoms.
• According to Chapter 15 in TomoMote, Yū had a pet cat before this chapter.
• The name of her and Uchi's hairstyle is a "bobcut" (ボブカット・bobukatto)."
• As depicted in Chapter 143, Yū is left handed.

Quotes

• "Lucky, I wish I could've gone to the same high school as you, then we could've got to seen each other everyday..." – to Tomoko.
• "Yū was my old friend in middle school. She had rather average looks and rather average grades. She entered a rather mediocre high school." – Tomoko recalling Yū in middle school.

Image gallery

Character Design of Yū Naruse

Yū as a middle schooler stunned by the high school entrance exam.

Yū in middle school as Tomoko recalls her

Comparing the heights of Yū and Tomoko.

Yū researching Tomoko's terminology in TotoMote.

Yū is left handed.

Koharu Minami reacts to Yū noticing that she is hurt.

Yū achieves bliss in the sauna at the Summer Study Camp

Shown: Emiri Uchi reacts to seeing her "clone."
Also Shown: "Bleached" Yū