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"Since I'm Not Popular, I'll Enjoy My Summer Break" (モテないし、夏休みを満喫する?) is the seventh episode of the anime adaption of WataMote. The episode was written by Ayumi Sekine and directed by Junya Koshiba. It aired in Japan on August 19, 2013.

Synopsis[]

This episode uses both clocks and the life-cycle of higurashi to emphasize the passage of time.

The higurashi cry on the first day of Summer Break. Tomoko spends the entire day and evening playing games, reading manga, watching television, and browsing the internet. She lies awake at 1:30 A.M. squealing over her enjoyment of doing nothing which wakes her brother.

The scene breaks into the opening titles. After the titles, and after spending five days doing the same nothing, Tomoko hears noise of laughter from her brothers room, and she listens through the wall. A dying higurashi summons the sixth day of her break which she similarly wastes. After going to bed, Tomoko realizes that she is wasting her summer vacation. Her cries again wake up her brother who pounds on their wall as he demands she shut up. Tomoko gets up on the now seventh day and vows to do something with her break. At 5:02 A.M. she searches on the Internet for ways to spend summer alone, but soon become distracted. By 9:32 A.M. she watches a video on "MyTube" of what appears to be a webcam teenage boy without a shirt and the name of "SEXY2364223" and quickly grabs her tissue box.

Ants devour the carcass of the higurashi as Tomoko screams "It's already this late?" as her computer clock shows 12:23 A.M. of the eighth day. Looking at a webcam video that happens to be open, Tomoko gets an idea. Tomoko buys a webcam in the hopes of becoming an internet personality, conveniently delivered by konozama.co.jp through Zagawa delivery that very day. She imagines herself an exciting webcam idol, but reality proves otherwise.

Tomoki returns at 6:09 P.M. As he nears his room, he hears strange groaning noises. He peeks in her sister's room to see her wearing sunglasses and a surgical mask. He sighs and slowly walks away. A few ants "stare" at the single wing of the departed higurashi. Finally, Tomoko goes live on her webcam, but an increasing number of viewers start criticizing her for not actually doing anything. Tomoko retreats, then closes her browser, then collapses on her bed curled up in a fetal position.

After the comercial break, it turns 2:48 P.M. on the eighth day. Tomoko tries to rationalize her failure, but she then becomes frustrated over doing nothing. She then sees in a magazine an advertisement for those who own a particular otome game to meet the male voice actor Jun Ishimine and record a line from him. She locates the game in her desk drawer and finds a ticket for the following day. Tomoko immediately researches the type of requests made by fans, wanders into a story of a girl "declared dead" in an accident, yet seen at such an event, then finds herself searching urban horror legends until her clock strike 3:00 A.M. She critically needs to use the bathroom but is too scared to leave her room. She briefly considers using her empty sports drink bottle until she hears a loud sound. 

Panicked, Tomoko wakes up her brother to accompany her to the bathroom. When he refused, she threatens to "release my feminine charm" in his room. He relents. After she finishes she asks him to stay so she can take a quick shower since she did not fully contain her "feminine charm" so to write.

The ninth day, at 2:23 P.M., Tomoko finds herself in a very long line of girls waiting to meet the voice actor. She overhears one girl declare she came up with so many lines for him to say that she could not sleep. Despite the wait, when Tomoko sees him while waiting in line, she is glad she came. She initially wants him to say, "I love you, Tomoko," even though she feels it is "creepy," as she is drawn progressively abstract. However, she then hears the girl before her ask him to say, "I'm going to make a mess out of you." Tomoko goes full cubist in reaction, but Jun happily records the girl's request.

A bashful Tomoko approaches, but Jun thanks her for coming to see him on a hot day and offers his hand, which Tomoko takes while inwardly becoming overcome. She appreciates that he is such a professional he willingly takes her sweaty hand in both of his. When he asks her if she has a request, her mind runs the gamut of male characters saying many lines. She then decides to combine them all. Undaunted, Jun calmly declares that he "got it (分かりました・wakarimashita)," and he takes her recording device. The girls behind her sweat and sigh at her wonderfully bold request.

The clock switches to 3:03 P.M. on the tenth day. A rather overcome Tomoko listens to her recording repeatedly. She notes that she has not washed her hand since Jun held it. She touches her head and imagines him petting her. She stops and realizes that she is about to go "into the other world," and decides she should play Jun's game while his voice is echoing in her head. She then think of mixing his recording with the game's voice files, only to look at the webcam recording device she bought.

The clock switches to 5:05 P.M. and Mrs. Kuroki watches television as her son returns home complaining about the heat. As he drinks a "PUKARI SWEAT," he hears a boy say, "onēsan (Big Sister)." He coughs and demands to know what his mother is watching. She responds that she found it while cleaning. It is a video of a young Tomoko and Tomoki playing together which his mother naturally finds cute. A stunned Tomoki watches himself proclaim he loves his sister, wants to marry her, asks for and receives a kiss, and then announces he needs to pee!

The clock switches to 5:30 P.M. and Tomoki sits at his desk holding his head as the higurashi cry in the distance. The clock switches to 5:48 P.M. as Tomoko finishes her editing. She puts on her headphones to listen. Her mother walks in to tell her dinner is ready, and is surprised to find her alone since she thought Tomoki was with her since she heard a boy talking. At that point, she hears Jun's and then Tomoko's voices. While the progressively riske dialogue plays, her mother does not freak out or otherwise react. A stunned and embarrassed Tomoko then notices her head phones are not plugged into the port on her computer which means her dialogue is being broadcast on her speakers. Neverthess, her mother turns away and leaves as she tells her dinner is ready and to "come down later."

Tomoko stares at her right hand as Jun's voice assures her that "it's alright," and "not to worry." Tomoko imagines him holding her and stroking her hair. An overcome Tomoko strokes her own hair.

The clock switches to 10:21 P.M as moths fly near the street lights. Tomoki sits in the dark at his desk in a Gendo pose. Tomoko enters and invites him to set off fireworks with her. When he admits he would like to do that, Tomoko continues talking as if he refused and offers to buy him ice cream if he will watch her light them. The clock switches to 10:43 P.M. and Tomoko sets off a sparkler outside Tomoki's room. He watches her from his window and notes that July is almost over.

Adapted From[]

This episode is adapted from the Volume 1 Omake and Chapters 13, and 17 of the manga.

Characters[]

Referbacks[]

  • This episode directly continues from the previous one that takes place during the five days before Summer Break.
  • Tomoko stating that she has already seen fireworks as well as her hatred of "bugs" references Episode 6. However, she does play with ants in that same episode.

Cultural References[]

  • Kiki's Delivery Service
  • The boy on television breaks the first rule of Fight Club.
  • Kiteretsu Daihyakka is one of the anime Tomoko watches.
  • MyTube (Youtube)
  • Konozama box (Amazon): apparently means something in Japanese slang rather opposite to its depiction.
  • Zagawa references a popular delivery service.
  • Detective Conan
  • YAHUQ! (Yahoo!)
  • Black Butler
  • Hera Hera Dōga (Nico Nico Dōga)
  • The Japanese often wear surgical masks, though not necessarily for webcam.
  • Searching on the Internet, Tomoko falls into the inescapable "Wiki Hole."
  • "Urban Legends": term popularized by Prof. Jan Brunvand who published many fascinating books on the subject you heard from a friend of your aunt's second cousin. Start here to start falling down the Japanese Horror Urban Legends "Wiki Hole."
  • "PUKARI SWEAT: references the popular Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat.
  • Cubism Tomoko.
  • Tomoko's request from Jun encompasses a long chain of references to other Japanese media, including even the Power Rangers, originally in known in Japan as Super Sentai.

Memorable Moments[]

  • "The Horror! The Horror!": Tomoko searches horror urban legends until she believes her bladder will burst, yet she is too scared to go to the bathroom alone. WataMote Wiki recommends readers take frequent breaks to avoid this.
  • "It This a Bad Time?": Similar to the infamous scene where Tomoko's father discovers her on the floor asleep holding her massager with a BL game paused, Tomoko's mother does nothing to embarrass nor shame her daughter further, despite the content of Tomoko's mixed dialogue. This is further significant given her mother had just watched an old recording of her children when they were very young and her son declared he wanted to marry and kiss his sister. Sometimes it is hard to be a parent of children stumbling towards adulthood.

Trivia[]

  • Peropero (ぺろぺろ): does mean "licking."
  • "Naughty Bits": The word Tomoko types which is translated as "naughty bits" is 局部 (きょくぶ kyokubu).
  • Higurashi (ヒグラシ): are a Japanese cicada whose sound often heralds the days of summer in Japanese media.
  • Tomoko's Imagined Lines: preserved for historical purposes:
    • "Tomoko, your body is so warm."
    • "What a filthy female."
    • "I'm kidding. I won't let you go."
    • "Sensei, you'll sign his for me, right?"
    • "Pig. Don't defy me."
    • "Will you die with me? Not really."
    • "You really overdid it."
    • "You'll fall. Here, give me your hand."
    • "Let's go . . . together . . ."
    • "Sniff! Sniff! Your hair is so sooth! It smells great!"
    • "Actually, I've always loved you. . ."
    • "You stink! Don't come close to me!"
    • "Tomoko! Tomoko! Tom . . . !"
  • Tomoko's Requested Combined Lines: preserved for Science!:
    • "You sow, you stink! Not really! Just kidding! Your hair smells great, Tomoko! And it's so smooth! I love you!"
  • Tomoko's Mixed Dialogue: preserved for World Peace:
    • Jun: "Hey, are you awake? You sow. I'll keep you locked in here forever."
    • Tomoko: "Let me go! I hate you!"
    • Jun: "Cheeky brat. I'll kill you!"
    • Tomoko: "Noooo!"
    • [Tomoko's Mom walks in.]
    • Jun: "How does it feel to be robbed of your freedom by one of the men you hate so much?"
    • Tomoko: "Untie me! Hey, where are you touching me?"
    • Jun: "Your hair smells great, Tomoko. . ."
    • Tomoko: "No, stop! Don't smell my hair!"
    • Jun: "We'll be together forever now."
    • Tomoko: "Together forever."
    • Jun: "You'll never leave here again. I love you, Tomoko."
    • Tomoko: "Y-You're lying! If you love me, prove it!"
    • Jun: "Not really! Just kidding!"
    • Tomoko: "Hey! You tricked me! You're cruel! Too cruel!"
    • Jun: "You stink."
    • Tomoko: "Ah, stop! don't be so rough!"
    • Jun: "I love you, Tomoko."
    • Tomoko: "Stop! Stop! I've had enough lies!"
    • [Tomoko's Mom takes her leave.]
    • Jun: It's okay. Don't worry. Cheer up! I'm here with you.

Quotes[]

  • "That kid with the glasses is a real pansy. No one would like him." – Tomoko Kuroki
  • "What is 'peropero?' I often see 'peropero' written after characters' names on the net. The word means 'lick,' so what body part's being licked? I'm thinking, whether it's a guy or girl, their naughty bits are getting licked." – Tomoko
  • "I could never show my face on the internet, anyway. I'd be too scared." – Tomoko
  • "Crap, my bladder's at maximum capacity!" – Tomoko
  • "I peed myself a little. Something wrong with that?" – Tomoko
  • "I'll end up going to another world at this rate!" – Tomoko
  • "Dinner's ready. Just come down later." – Mrs. Kuroki

Gallery[]

Navigation[]

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TomoMote 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 Anniv
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