Watamote – 07
This episode wwwwwwww
It’s that Watamote time of the week again! This episode, we examine Tomoko’s summer break as she lives her youth to its fullest!
Summer Break
Dat feel
With summer break, a third of Tomoko’s first year in high school is over. So how did she do? Well, she still only has one friend, so I’d say she did rather poorly. And since she only has Yuu-chan, her summer break is also looking very bleak. Instead of going out and doing summer things like trips to the beach, pool, mountain, etc, we find Tomoko holed up in her room. Day after day, she’s watching tv shows, surfing the web, and reading manga. What a life. Yeah ok, it’s awfully dull in truth. And soon enough our heroine realizes as well, so she tries to find ways to spice things up. Her first endeavor is to make a webcam debut on the nico ripoff. What better way to pass time than to talk to strangers on the internet?1 Seriously though, random live streaming might be taking it a bit far, but I’m surprised Tomoko couldn’t just find other otaku to nerd out with on the world wide web. I suppose there’s also stuff like Omegle or Chatroulette if you’re really desperate, but God help you if you’re going to those places.
Abort! Abort!
Luckily Tomoko realizes that she isn’t quite ready for live streaming after a brief mental simulation of her epic failure and humiliation. So the live stream is a no-go and now Tomoko has to find other ways to waste her summer. Fortunately she just so happens to see an advert for a mini-recording event and also has a ticket to said event from a first-run purchase. Looks like our heroine is stepping foot outside after all. All that’s left now is to decide what lines she wants the VA to recite. But while perusing the limits of what she can request, Tomoko falls into the internet trap. You know what I’m talking about. You’re browsing on a site or a search engine and you click on a link. Soon you start seeing more and more links, all of which you are compelled to click. Before long, you’re on an adventure that you had never intended to set out on. Yeah. The only way out is to quickly realize you’ve fallen into the trap, which is half of the effort. The other half is to bring yourself to click on the browser close button even though there are all those alluring tabs you’ve opened calling for you to read them.
Brotherly Love
Feminine floodgates were opened.
Anyway, thanks to this Tomoko is not only unable to ponder line requests for the VA, but is now unable to go to the toilet despite being about to explode (she had gone off on a tangent reading scary stories). This calls for a trip to her brother’s room to bother the poor guy in the middle of the night. I don’t know what kind of older sister has to ask her kid bro to hold her hand to the toilet, but clearly the answer is Tomoko. Not a moment to be proud of, I’m sure. And also she manages to wet herself a bit despite everything, and now poor Tomoki has to wait for her to take a shower as well. We know how Tomoko’s eye bags came about, but maybe stuff like this is how Tomoki is also looking so lifeless. Really, I feel for the guy.
Daww
So come next day, Tomoko sets off to the event and stuff happens. Meanwhile, Tomoki comes home to find their mother reminiscing and watching old videos of her children. And here we get a big surprise. Apparently Tomoki used to really cling to Tomoko; even going so far as to say he will marry her. Of course, this was all when they were young, but clearly Tomoki isn’t very proud of those days as he storms off embarrassed. But here’s the thing to consider. Is it really so much of a surprise that Tomoki really loved his big sis? All things considered, he cares a lot for her even now. And despite all the shit she puts him through, he’s always willing to put up with her (to a certain extent). Case in point, Tomoko later barges in asking him to light fireworks with her. He declines, but still watches over the pathetic sister as she lights them on her own outside. To me, this is again a show of a very real and touching sibling relationship, so I must continue to praise Watamote on this front.
Extras
Before I leave off, I suppose I should also mention the events of Tomoko’s day, since it was yet another low for the hapless missfit. Emboldened by the “embarrassing” request of the girl before her in line, Tomoko gets the VA to recite a rather explicit and creepy mashup of self-serving lines. Then she goes on to create a mix of these, lines from the latest game she’s playing, and her own voice. The result: custom personal audio porn. And then mommy Kuroki walks in on her. She doesn’t say much, but I get the feeling she isn’t nearly as accepting as the father.
1I’m not even going to pretend that’s not what I do.
About Sumairii
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
there has to be someone out there for her
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Every single otaku in the world, I’m sure. 😉
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think mom was fine with the existence of it. I mean, that’s a heck of a line to cross: “I made my own porny voice reel with this line I had the voice actor say to me…”
I do think the content was a little much for mom, tho, given that it was about domination of Tomoko, which is even farther out there than ero lines.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
This show can make you laugh and cringe at the same time, a difficult feat to pull off. While Mom didn’t say anything at the time regarding what she heard Tomoko listening to, I have a feeling there’s going to be a LONG mother-daughter talk in the future, although it probably won’t be shown. It’s really past time her parents realized how socially isolated she is and try to do something about it.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
What’s kind of sad, is that when you see her with her brother, when they were young as well as now, she can communicate fine. She has no problem communicating with family and Yuu-chan, its only with outsiders.
I think its really a well-hidden, self-denied self-esteem problem at the root of all this.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 88 comments
Oh man, that brother’s reaction after seeing that tape was definitely wwwwwwwwwwwwww
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Those two were so cute as kids! Strangely enough, when I was very, very young and my mom brought my youngest brother home from the hospital for the first time, I thought he was the cutest most beautiful thing my young eyes had ever seen. I declared right then and there at his bassinet that I would marry him.
My parents simply laughed and lightly informed me that I couldn’t marry him because he was my brother. This was a small disappointment, but I was happy again once they let me hold and take care of him.
Seeing a somewhat identical scene play-out in this show gave it extra points in my eyes. 🙂
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
This episode was so freaking hilarious! I KNOW THOSE FEELS Tomoko wwwwwwwwwww
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, that was kind of boring. However, I can sympathize with Tomoko in that I too have those long weeks of boredom once school ends with nothing to do and no job available. Don’t worry, Tomoko! Even those of us with friends sometimes can’t find anything to do during the summer! 😛
I thought the scenes with Tomoki were nice and really like how some brothers and sisters act. I know I and my brother do. And that home movie was precious.
That recording of Tomoko was scandalous, and she better be double glad she doesn’t have MY mom. Neither my mother nor father would be nearly as forgiving as Tomoko’s parents…
Other, than those highlights, nothing else really happened this episode so it only gets a 6/10 from me.