(L+CR) It's Not My Fault I'm Not Popular (WATAMOTE)

[Sister Princess]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

1205 BDs for Watamote - so much for the hopes of a stealth audience. This is just more proof for me that the anime-buying public has horrible taste, and as long as they effectively run the production committees in the long-term, anime is screwed.

Watching Watamote more than once is painful. Anime viewers just don't want to remember their lives in high school.

It's the Japanese education system's fault (Despite their education sound better than in Hong Kong). Not the anime.

[GDiddy]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

1205 BDs for Watamote - so much for the hopes of a stealth audience. This is just more proof for me that the anime-buying public has horrible taste, and as long as they effectively run the production committees in the long-term, anime is screwed.

Not enough moe or T & A or does this hit too hard for the otaku crowd?

Though personally, I think Mokoicchi is moe....

[Jan-Poo]

Originally Posted by Sister Princess

Anime viewers just don't want to remember their lives in high school.

It's the Japanese education system's fault (Despite their education sound better than in Hong Kong). Not the anime.

Actually this is something that makes me wonder.
There is the fact that a very high proportion of anime is focused on a high school or middle school setting. This would seem to indicate that there's actually a demand for such settings to be depicted.

Now as an European (and I guess that for americans and australians it works as well) the Japanese school system is so different and alien from my personal experience that those anime still work as pure escapism. I'm not really reminded of my school experiences by watching them.

But is it the same for Japanese people? Wouldn't all those high school anime remind them of their school days when they can closely relate to the situations depicted?

[Goty]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

But is it the same for Japanese people? Wouldn't all those high school anime remind them of their school days when they can closely relate to the situations depicted?

I think they prefer to see how they wish their high school life had been (similar to Tomoko's dreams), as unrealistic as those views might be, not a close depiction of how it actually was.

But yeah, i do wonder why the vast majority of animes have some sort of high school setting, even ones that are supposedly aimed at an older audience.

[Sister Princess]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Actually this is something that makes me wonder.
There is the fact that a very high proportion of anime is focused on a high school or middle school setting. This would seem to indicate that there's actually a demand for such settings to be depicted.

Now as an European (and I guess that for americans and australians it works as well) the Japanese school system is so different and alien from my personal experience that those anime still work as pure escapism. I'm not really reminded of my school experiences by watching them.

But is it the same for Japanese people? Wouldn't all those high school anime remind them of their school days when they can closely relate to the situations depicted?

It's just Watamote reflect reality too much.

Haganai reflect daily lives of a club but there is no way the you can find club members with only 1 male and multiple female.

K-ON reflect even a retard(ahem) can become competent. It also has members with personality. You can only find this in 2D.

Free! has handsome boys in swimming club. But when you're handsome, why not become drama king/queen instead?

Suzumiya Haruhi want to find aliens, psychics during declaration at school. In 3D world chances are this will leave a bad reputation in the classroom.

These unrealistic measures made people feel "why I can't be this guy" "how can I become this guy" so at least social losers don't feel like they are losing.

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

1205 BDs for Watamote - so much for the hopes of a stealth audience. This is just more proof for me that the anime-buying public has horrible taste, and as long as they effectively run the production committees in the long-term, anime is screwed.

I think we should be glad it got made into anime at all.

From what I understand, if it didn't become so popular at 4chan, even the manga itself would've gone largely unnoticed by Japanese readers. This might be one of those rare shows that gets received better overseas than in Japan.

I can understand why Japan doesn't seem to like this show as much as we do. it does hit close to home for a large number of people, and if anime is the Japanese otaku's way of escaping their dreadful daily lives, the last thing they want is a show that will remind them exactly of how dreadful it is, or used to be.

[hamazura]

Originally Posted by Sister Princess

Haganai reflect daily lives of a club but there is no way the you can find club members with only 1 male and multiple female.

.

lol last year in my highschool, i was one of three boys in 'art unit' (band, music, dance and such) which consist of about 35 girls + 3 boys (including me)
thats how i got girlfriend and alot of girl-friend even thou my social skill was so-so and my face was normal


ok on-topic
is someone very like anime often get bullied / alienated in school in ur country? (europe / america / japan maybe?) because all people i knew from my entire life, ive never seen someone got bullied / alienated because of anime and stuff

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by GDiddy

Not enough moe or T & A or does this hit too hard for the otaku crowd?

Though personally, I think Mokoicchi is moe....

I'm on-record saying she's one of the most moe characters in recent memory, going by the original definition of the term.

[Dr. Casey]

Originally Posted by Sister Princess

Haganai reflect daily lives of a club but there is no way the you can find club members with only 1 male and multiple female.

I don't think that's necessarily unrealistic - I had a class my senior year of high school where I was the only guy in a classroom of about 20 students, so a club with that kind of unbalanced ratio isn't that out there. Haganai certainly does treat the subject matter far differently than Watamote, though, in that

Spoiler for Haganai Episode 1 spoilers:

it kinda nullifies the basic premise from the very start since the kids become surrounded by friends, laughter, and fun times in the very first episode thanks to the Neighbors' Club. It would be like if there was a TV series meant to give insight into the trials that face those in poverty by focusing upon a terribly poor family... except they win the lottery five minutes into the first episode and become billionaires overnight.

Oh, and I hope that Tomoko crushes those students that talked badly about her just like she did that cockroach. Bastards. (... hey, my protectiveness proves that she is indeed moe. Irrefutable evidence.)

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

But is it the same for Japanese people? Wouldn't all those high school anime remind them of their school days when they can closely relate to the situations depicted?

I think Watamote explains their view pretty well -- just as Tomoko approaches high school hoping it'll be as idealized as anime makes it out, people who've gone through it look back and wish it had been that way, and all those bitches they hated would've been their friends and dragged them along on all sorts of reajuu outings they would've said they hate but come to enjoy, and the girl who was meanest to them would actually turn out to be in love with them, etc.

And we do see the same thing in the US with shows like Glee and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which even though it purports to be about how high school is hell, still presents an idealized experience where the loser characters get to be cool.

Originally Posted by Sister Princess

Haganai reflect daily lives of a club but there is no way the you can find club members with only 1 male and multiple female.

Not true. At my high school one year the drama club had a really disastrous fall production which caused most of the members to quit, leaving just half a dozen girls in the club. But plays with an all-female cast are rare and the best they could do was one with just a single male role, so they waited in the library after school one day and dragged any guy who came in by himself to the audition.

And this being the drama club, the girls were all as eccentric as any anime character.

[NaweG]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

I don't think that's necessarily unrealistic - I had a class my senior year of high school where I was the only guy in a classroom of about 20 students, so a club with that kind of unbalanced ratio isn't that out there. Haganai certainly does treat the subject matter far differently than Watamote, though, in that

Spoiler for Haganai Episode 1 spoilers:

it kinda nullifies the basic premise from the very start since the kids become surrounded by friends, laughter, and fun times in the very first episode thanks to the Neighbors' Club. It would be like if there was a TV series meant to give insight into the trials that face those in poverty by focusing upon a terribly poor family... except they win the lottery five minutes into the first episode and become billionaires overnight.

So basically if the Beverly Hillbillies got the Battlestar Galactica reboot treatment? I'm sad to say that sounds almost like something that would be worth watching. Then Watamote could be the daughter who instead of being cute in cutoffs and a tied up top was now suffering from anorexia and trying to live up to the kids at school who don't care for "new money"...

[ReinZwei]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

Well the manga's still selling well, but it doesn't look like there's been any boost from the anime. Which is yet more proof that manga readers have better taste than anime fans.

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

1205 BDs for Watamote - so much for the hopes of a stealth audience. This is just more proof for me that the anime-buying public has horrible taste, and as long as they effectively run the production committees in the long-term, anime is screwed.

I was one of the people who were surprised by this, but oh well, hope that manga will raise the probability of a season 2, although BD/DVD sales were the primary booster for a second season, other media can be a factor also.

[Lord of Fire]

No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys Fault I'm In An Adult Video (SFW)

Seriously, of all the anime the porn industry could use to make AVs of, they had to choose this show.

I haven't seen the actual video, though I'm not sure if I want to.

[SPARTAN 119]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Actually this is something that makes me wonder.
There is the fact that a very high proportion of anime is focused on a high school or middle school setting. This would seem to indicate that there's actually a demand for such settings to be depicted.

Now as an European (and I guess that for americans and australians it works as well) the Japanese school system is so different and alien from my personal experience that those anime still work as pure escapism. I'm not really reminded of my school experiences by watching them.

But is it the same for Japanese people? Wouldn't all those high school anime remind them of their school days when they can closely relate to the situations depicted?

I've heard about this before, and really, most people in Japan's high school experience was nothing like an anime. I've read somewhere (can't remember where) about it being described as "nostalgia for a past that never existed in the first place".

Originally Posted by Lord of Fire

No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys Fault I'm In An Adult Video (SFW)

Seriously, of all the anime the porn industry could use to make AVs of, they had to choose this show.

I haven't seen the actual video, though I'm not sure if I want to.

Well, that's Rule 34 in action for you...

[Guardian Enzo]

Well, here's a small bit of good news - Watamote Vol. 1 is ranked #1 on Amazon's U.S. manga bestseller list.

http://ebook.itmedia.co.jp/ebook/art...0/news089.html

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by Lord of Fire

No Matter How I Look At It, It's You Guys Fault I'm In An Adult Video (SFW)

Seriously, of all the anime the porn industry could use to make AVs of, they had to choose this show.

I haven't seen the actual video, though I'm not sure if I want to.

Lmfao.

[Lord of Fire]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Well, here's a small bit of good news - Watamote Vol. 1 is ranked #1 on Amazon's U.S. manga bestseller list.

http://ebook.itmedia.co.jp/ebook/art...0/news089.html

Somehow, I'm not surprised.

Which reminds me, I need to (pre)order it myself as well.

[durack]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Actually this is something that makes me wonder.


But is it the same for Japanese people? Wouldn't all those high school anime remind them of their school days when they can closely relate to the situations depicted?

Well, don't know anything about Japanese schools but why would it be any different from how US schools are depicted in Hollywood movies?

[durack]

Loved the show and now bought vol 1 of the manga.

One thing though - even though you feelsympathy for the MC, she is also a very flawed person - a pathological liar, lazy, basically sits around and waits for a harem of Prince Charmings to show up, refers to her only friend as "slut", "cow", "bitch" etc - because of envy.

I'd say the outside world is relatively nice to her - basically people either try to be nice or just ignore her. Someone like her could be ripped apart in real world HS, in any country...

[MCAL]

Watamote ends up as Number 3 on the NY Times best seller list.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...-27-november-2