Watamote rant · 2:03am Aug 27th, 2013
Before I begin, I just want to say that the reason why I am ranting about an anime on a website for MLP: FIM is because I use this site as my own personal blog where I can pretty much say whatever I want and no one really cares. No career will ever suspect of looking at this website for personal information about me. Also, there is seriously nothing going on in MLP right now. I'm pretty sure you're all waiting for the fourth season to occur (if we survive that long as species). And finally, MLP has been slowly losing my interest. I seriously only watch it for writing material now and to be updated in the MLP universe (for now. I can't wait until season 4).
Anyways, I just want to say a few words about Watamote. I hate how the most popular response when watching Watamote is "Wow! I am basically Tomoko." Unless you are someone with seriously severe social anxiety, I don't think so. Sure, you may be nervous around new people and may be inefficient at communicating with other strangers or classmates, but do you end up crying when you're trying to impress some people so you can make friends? Do you seriously puke into a trash bin when you see yourself in the mirror as someone else? Are you so alone that you go up to someone and seriously ask them, "Hey, I need to talk to you for at least one hour everyday of the week so I can maintain my social health?" Are you unreliable to do pretty much anything but exist because of your fear of being rejected by your fellow human beings and peers? If these are your behaviors, then yes, you are exactly like Tomoko. I will kindly fuck off and enjoy the rest of my day. But after watching (and re-watching) the anime and reading the manga, I can say that Tomoko is a serious outlier when it comes to interaction among people. She is seriously damaged as a person and laughing at her antics is somewhat cruel. I know it's painted as a comedic anime, but I think the show is a tragedy in and of its self. You're pretty much laughing at a tragic comedy. In which case, a lot of you are just as socially retarded... just like Tomoko. I hereby renounce what I said about the fans and say that you are all also just like Tomoko (if you do laugh).
SPOILERS BELOW PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Second, I guess I want to talk about Tomoko-- because I think she needs a FUCKING FRIEND ALREADY (As much I love the show, I want the creators to stop this and just make her get a friend! At this point, SHE NEEDS SOMEONE TO COME TO HER RESCUE). Honestly, I don't think anyone of her stature deserves such horrible things (i.e. getting "raped" by the end of a spear in the train, have her umbrella broke in the rain, being called ugly when she tries to be attractive). I get that she has super-bitch moments, I get that she is extremely flawed as a human being, I get that if she were to exist that she maybe an unbearably awkward individual who no one wants to be friends with. But for some reason, all those things makes me want to be her friend more. If only she existed as a human being. Do you guys know any awkward individuals who need a friend? Because I will befriend the shit out of them!!
I agree with you on the fan-reactions to Watamote, almost nobody is that socially backward. I actually like how the viewer is meant to feel sympathy for her as well as find it funny, it's a really strange mix of emotional intent. But that said, the show can be incredibly cringe-worthy at times, especially with how it's implied that Tomoko's brother thinks she has a crush on him (no incest in my anime, please). I also really feel sorry for her brother, because it would probably be really annoying to have to live with her (even if she's desperately trying to overcome her social anxiety). She can really be stupid at times, too, with her hair-brained schemes to win popularity (seriously, who is dumb enough to use a vacuum cleaner to give themself a hickey?).
It's not fair to say that people shouldn't laugh at the events of the show because they're tragic. It is a comedy, after all, so it's natural to laugh at any well-executed jokes. It's like if I laughed at a joke about the death of a celebrity; I wouldn't find the death itself funny, I'd be laughing at the joke--which is about a death. You see what I mean? But I do wish that she'd get a friend other than Yuu-chan, too. Her character development is well overdue.
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Sadly, I don't think she's seriously going to develop anytime soon. I feel like this anime is going to be too lucrative for the people at Silver Light and Square Enix to make any character development any time soon. The naivete of Tomoko as well as her introverted nature is going to be the thing that keeps this anime going without much development on her part. Nevertheless, I feel like there's only so much one can go through without having any development. I feel like she's going to be like a lot of people today and just hold on to her awkward status as an individual.
As for her stupidity, I do agree she has her moments (I think the question is more like, "who would be dumb enough to believe that those are hickeys?").
As for laughing, I'm not saying you don't have the right to laugh at her. You have that right, I just think it would be a tad bit cruel to laugh at her mainly because I don't think I have experienced her situation firsthand. Laughing with her resembles empathy and I think that's what a lot of people are trying to convey whenever I end up talking to them about it. There, however, people who would be laughing at her situation. Then again, I can't tell which one I'm doing whenever I let myself laugh at a scene.
Oh, I also don't think there is going to be incest (I hope to god there won't). I know she teases her brother and all, but that's just teasing. it won't go anywhere.... I hope it won't.
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That's probably gonna be the sad truth. I think I read that the manga is ongoing, so it'd probably have to force back character development like that for the sake of being able to continue with the status quo. Unless, of course, the anime decides to take artistic liberties and develop her anyway, but that doesn't seem too likely. But still, I'm "enjoying" (for lack of a better word) how she is now, so it works for a slice-of-life series.
It is a bit cruel to laugh at her, I admit, but I still find it funny. To use another analogy, it's like laughing at someone who's fallen over and hurt themself: you'd find it funny but you'd also feel bad for them at the same time. Perhaps one of the big draws of the show is that it flatters the audience, because the average viewer could probably think something like: "Well, no matter how bad my life gets, I can at least say that I'm not Tomoko". It generally puts the viewer in the superior social position, looking down on her. And while we all feel lonely at times, so we can all relate to at least some of what she feels, the viewer can also laugh at her misfortunes because they're not the one experiencing it. I can understand why you feel how you do, though, if you've really gone through what she has. That must really suck.
I doubt there will be any incest, since it's clear that he can hardly stand her at times and she's only talking to him because she has almost no-one else to talk to. It's just the implication of it all that makes me feel so uncomfortable.
I just found this post, such a shame though. If any human could benefit from a trip to Equestria, it'd be poor Tomoko.