WataMote Chapter 68

Chapter 68
Information
Volume Number	Volume 8
Chapter Title	Because I'm Not Popular, I'll Spend My Second Semester Lazing About
Published	November 10, 2014
Previous Chapter	Chapter 67
Next Chapter	Chapter 69

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 separated into short sections depicting different aspects of Tomoko's mood throughout the day.

Practice

Tomoko lies in her bed thinking she should go to sleep early since school begins in the morning. Instead, she stays up watching an anime noting that she finds boring series interesting when she is tired. She repeats some of the nonsense words of a character: "Nyaa" and "Hoeee."

The Results of Practice

Not Shown: Empathy

In the morning, Tomoko encounters her brother who leaves early to school for practice. She tries the nonsense words on him and asks if Tomoki now wants to kill her. He simply demands that she get out of his way.

The title page depicts Tomoko looking for food at a convenience store.

Mood

Tomoko arrives in class.

Nemoto greets her and Tomoko stammers a reply. Nemoto returns to continue her conversation with Kiyota and Okada about the upcoming school trip. She sits at her desk along and listens to Kakinuma and his friends discuss an anime.

Interest

During 2nd period Japanese History, Tomoko muses during a lecture on the warring states period that noble girls her age would have been married off. She imagines how difficult it would have been being a "baby making machine" without even manga or games. However, since she feels nearly all of the warlords of the time were gay, she could at least watch them. The teacher announces a pop-quiz which Tomoko aces. He congratulates her for paying attention.

Mood

Tomoko sits at her desk eating the lunch she bought at the convenience store. The intercom broadcasts the song from the anime she the previous evening. The "nerds" near her excitedly talk about it. When Tomoko looks at them, she notices two other girls some distance away staring at their reaction. Tomoko finishes and leaves the classroom with her juice wondering why she feels so uncomfortable.

Name

Due to the magic of fanilation, Tomoko's console has hiragana keys yet produces English.

Tomoko sits with her juice and starts to play her hand-held game. It asks for her character's name, then denies her use of "Dick" and "Penis." She successfully enters "Cockz" to her delight.

Reply

As he walks the halls, Tomoki receives a text from Tomoko. She asks if he ever tried to get past the censorship to enter obscene character name or if only she does that. Tomoki ignores the message. Tomoko, irritated by his lack of a simple reply, resends the message.

Even Though They're the Same

Tomoko struggles to stay awake in her 5th period. She recalls how the same teacher embarrassed her by forcing her to stand for the entire class when she fell asleep previously. She notices that Kakinuma has fallen asleep while taking notes. He wakes up suddenly as the teacher demands he remains awake. Tomoko wonders why when she was scolded everyone became quiet, but now the rest of the class laughs.

Despair

Shown: Tomoko's reaction to a delay in the next WataMote release.

Depressed, Tomoko walks home. She inwardly thinks that the only thing that allowed her to survive the day, was looking forward to reading a manga at the convenience store. To her shock, she discovers the series is on hiatus since the author has back pain.

Bath Scene

When she returns home, her mother breaks the news that their water heater broke, and she will have to go to the public baths. Inwardly, Tomoko rages that such a development only happens in "shitty" anime, but then imagines she might have a "fated meeting" with a guy. However, three hours later, she lazes on her bed with her stuffed purple toy rationalizing she can skip a bath since she sits next to "those three losers." If she still sat next to Nemoto, she would be more concerned with how much she stinks.

Friendship

Once again Tomoko believes she should go to sleep since she has school but instead she sits up watching anime. She notices that she finds sports series that she has no interest in better when she is tired. She notices that the boys always seem to get along "too well" and the female manager of this series ceased being relevant. She then starts to repeat a word: "Homo." The narration concludes that the previous day's "Hoeee" has been overwritten.

Characters

In order of appearance:

• Tomoko Kuroki
• Tomoki Kuroki
• Hina Nemoto
• Yoshinori Kiyota
• Akane Okada
• Kakinuma (unnamed)
• Kakinuma's friends
• History Teacher (unnamed)
• Math Teacher
• Mrs. Kuroki

Referbacks

• In the previous chapter, Tomoko made an observation about Kakinuma and his friends's nerdy interests as well.
• Nemoto, Kiyota, and Okada discuss their upcoming class trip.

Trivia

• Tomoko has lunch between her 4th and 5th periods.
• Postprandial Somnolence: the bane of every high school student the world over.

Cultural References

• "Warring States Period": (戦国時代 Sengoku Jidai)
• Nemoto mentions the "Golden" and "Silver Temples."

Memorial Moments

• Despite some progress, Tomoko's social anxiety still prevents her from talking to others and makes her think others look down on her.

Quotes

• "These kinds of pointless boring anime are pretty fun to watch when you're tired." – Tomoko Kuroki
• "Shit! I don't want to feel relieved hearing these nerds still talking about anime. But I am!" – Tomoko

Gallery

Lady Tomoko watches her favorite BL. . . .

"that which we call a rose/By any other word would smell as sweet"