First Impression – Watashi ga Motete Dousunda
Rejected new Disney princess concept
It seems that fujoshi anime is the recent trend in the anime world. It’s still weird how a yaoi mangaka creates a manga about fujoshi though. Somehow I have a feeling this one can depict my kind of people perfectly well, even beyond realistic. Anyway, let’s see how bad this anime describe my behavior can be.
Fujoshi 101: you lose weight, you get ’em
Well, that was pretty unexpected. Plot-wise, the anime is OK. It’s a typical anime about fujoshi trying to quit her bad pairing habit. Yeah, totally normal… Except the fact the fujoshi is chased around by a bunch of good-looking guys. Totally unrealistic. Hot guys don’t chase after fujoshi, right? Except this fujoshi lost weight due to depression, and she becomes a pretty girl. That’s when the guys start chasing after her (except the senpai). Sounds like a shallow plot, isn’t it? Yes, the plot is shallow, and maybe that’s the whole point of this show. Although the premise has a good start with light material, this anime is probably one of the few anime who managed to depict real life perfectly.
It’s hard not to describe how “realistic” the anime is without talking about the characters since they are the biggest points of this anime. Let’s start with the main character who is also the fujoshi of the show. Junko created a likeable main character with relaxing and friendly personality. There’s no lack of confidence nonsense within her personality despite of the so-called “fat” she has. There is no bullying whatsoever, and she can take jokes about her size. So far, she has a healthy social life. It’s refreshing to see this kind of characters, as most series would usually use her physique as a setback for the main character and uses it for character development and drama. But nope, no setback at all. A perfectly normal high school girl with normal social life. Her only setback is her fujoshi tendencies which is definitely spot-on. I feel like being slapped on the face every time the main character does her pairing in real life because that’s what I do too (except no hot guys running after me).
Boys are jerks
But of course, the highlight of the episode is the change in behavior done by the boys. They weren’t smitten by the main character when she was fat. Why? Because she wasn’t their type! No Kazehaya from Kimi ni Todoke nonsense where the hot guy actually likes the geek. Nope, they only start liking her when she lost weight. This is definitely a change I like (and loathe at the same time) because this is how most boys behave in real life. As much as everybody loves Kazehaya-style male protagonist, they have to be reminded that real life doesn’t work that way. Having Kazehaya in real life is like a miracle from God. But the boys from Watashi ga Motete Dousunda, they’re definitely the kind of boys that live around us, from coworkers to our own boyfriends at times. Maybe even in Metanorn, too.
I have read some discussion regarding the boys’ realistic behavior, and many people don’t like it. Many shoujo lovers turn away from this series because of the boys’ behavior. To be honest, I was taken aback when I read the manga. It’s been a while since I see boys actually being portrayed like real life boys, and it was rather… disturbing at first. But Junko is always a genius when it comes to story and plot. She managed to use something rare that makes Watashi ga Motete Dousunda stands out, but she also entertain the audience with the anime-ish interactions, character designs, and others. It’s unclear how it will be in the future, but it sure started this season with a strong impression that will definitely last until the end of the season.
This Anime is a Screenshot Magnet:
As much as I enjoyed the first episode, I am having dilemmas over it. I’ve always been fond of anime and things related to it due to the fact that they’re not real. There is no Naruto in real life. Nobody is as heroic as the old man in Independence Day. Real aliens aren’t as hot as Clark Kent. They’re not real, and they give me the moments I need when I want to escape from real life. So every time I come across some random stuff claiming that it’s “based on real life,” sometimes I would roll my eyes and watch them just to pass the time. I don’t hate them, but I like my stuff unrealistic.
And yet here it is, an anime that blatantly pokes at the unrealistic concept of romance BS that has been passed down in the manga world. It challenges such concept by creating a series based on men’s realistic behavior and disgusting habits of fujoshi. People would think that such things would be crappy, dark, grim, yada yada. But she did it. Junko pulled it off. She managed to send the implicit message to the audience while creating an entertaining anime everybody (including me) can relate to. Fujoshi can laugh when they watch this while grinning awkwardly when they see reflection of themselves in the main character. Boys can laugh at the main character’s behavior but can imagine themselves as the boys who chase the main character only when she is according to their physical type. Everything here screams anime, but nothing can describe fujoshi and typical behavior of men as close as this. Well, except with the accepting guys and all that. There is no way four hot guys would accept a girl’s otaku-ish behavior easily like that (yeah humanity is that bad). Anyway, with an interesting premise it started with, Watashi ga Motete Dousunda has the potential to be one of the anime that can be listed in everybody’s Good Anime List for this season.
Preview: 4 guys 1 girl, and a bunch of male dakimakura.
“Satans, I offer you my sister, please cure her otaku disease”
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Kobayashi Yu is perfect for this role. Even when some of the jokes were quite over the top, I could somehow bear them just because of her. Kobayashi Yu is <3.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Wasn’t Mutsumi nice to her and fond of her before she lost weight?
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
He is not aware of his feelings until later on.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Haha tru tru.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
But it really can’t be helped.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Yeah I know what you mean. The jerks I talk about are the 3 other boys. I totally ship her with senpai, but unfortunately things are pushing Show ▼
to be main dude. I hope the latest arc in the manga puts Senpai in the spotlight ugh
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Yeah, the other 3 guys were pissing me off the whole entire time. They should have some shame XD considering how poorly nanashima and arrogant short dude were to her before she lost weight. Igarashii wasn’t didn’t treat her especially poorly before but he became super desperate to get with her post-weightloss which was just as annoying. Sorry if I sound really negative but those 3… 😛
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Given how most harem shows go, even if one guy is kind of ahead of the others, there’s no real ‘main’ guy. It definitely is not showing Nanashima and Shinomiya in a good light, tho.
But one of the things I like about it so far is that Kae is totally not interested in any of them that way, even if they try to press her on it.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Yeah she is so good at voicing the fujoshi <3 I hope this can elevate her name. She is so underrated
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I agree. She is an excellent seiyuu and even have range. She deserves better roles!
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
It’s still weird how a yaoi mangaka creates a manga about fujoshi though.
I suppose Junko’ll use Kae as a vehicle to parody yaoi cliches against everyone else’s reactions, like how Nozaki-kun parodied the shoujo genre through its cast.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Yeah, and that’s what scares me. Nozaki was good until it got boring in the middle. I hope it won’t happen in this one because there are actual arcs in Watamote
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I finally started watching this, and it’s really hilarious. I was a little nonplussed at the mild fat jokes in the first episode, but they really weren’t that bad (I think the thing I liked the least was how her voice was), and like you say it does a great job pointing out how the guys are kinda jerks cause they’re not interested in her before she gets pretty.
I’ve only watched 5 episodes of it, but it just seems to get funnier. A lot of it is knowing the joke is coming to hit the oblivious guys, like when they helped her out at Comiket. Definitely a show that more people should give a try to.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Glad you like it! I’ll just write an Overall Impression though since I have no time for it (you can join if you want *hint hint*)
Things are progressing quickly in the anime since they skipped sooooo mannyyy chapters. I understand since those chapters are pretty stagnant and repetitive, but those chapters are GOLD. You should read the manga if you want to read the skipped arcs.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There’s not really a feeling in the show for me that they’ve skipped important information, so that’s a good job for the adaptation to make it feel put together if they have skipped a bunch.