Today's picture of the day features Watamote. A scene that was the highlight of the anime to me, and probably many others as well.

(Ending Spoilers ahead for Watamote)

Watamote turned out to be an odd show to say the least. There were quite a lot of instances where I found myself cringing at the screen, rather "embarrassed" at Tomoko's behavior and of her portrayal. If you read my earlier post on Watamote, you might have discovered that I had rather high hopes for Tomoko by the end of the show. Unfortunately, those wishes of mine did not come true, but I accepted the ending for what it was.

It seemed that by the end of the anime, Tomoko was fed up with trying to change herself, and simply accepted the person she was. If you think about things realistically, that is a pretty mature attitude and mindset to have. Sometimes, people try to change themselves so much that it takes a toll on their emotional state, and this is probably what happened to Tomoko. She just ended up breaking down towards the end.

I believe one of the goals in life is to find people (or an eventual spouse) who accept you for who you are. Changing yourself to meet someone else's needs is not really being true to yourself. The few times Tomoko did converse with people, they generally responded in a positive way. This is typically how life works. Strangers are not going to open themselves up to you on their own, and often times you are just another human being in their way (you are ignored). Only when you take the initiative and strike up a conversation is when there is opportunity for something more.

Overall, I found Watamote to be a rather grotesque portrayal of social anxiety and the struggles of one teenage girl to fit in. Since the tone of the show was rather gritty and filled with melancholy, not too many moments stood out to me. However, the scene pictured above was a defining moment I felt. One of the sweeter moments that just fill you with glee. There is more significance to this photo if you had been there to witness who is in the pink costume and how those series of events led up to Tomoko getting a hug.

The show could have concluded on a much happier note if Episode 11 was the last. Admittedly, with Episode 12 I felt even more pity and sympathy towards Tomoko and her "growth" or lack thereof by the show's conclusion. Like I mentioned, the nonchalant way that Tomoko accepted her situation threw me off. It almost seemed that it was a lackluster conclusion for those of us who expected more of a change from her. She did change, and attempted to change herself to a large degree, but ultimately decided she was perfectly fine with her current self.

As a viewing experience, I found Watamote rather lacking. The comedy is cruel--laughing at someone's expense a lot of the time usually makes you feel terrible. I suppose it is similar to watching a movie with too much blood and gore or something else that you find distasteful. The story, art, and animation may be stellar, but if it is not an enjoyable watch for the aforementioned reasons, chances are you are less likely to re-watch it or recommend it to friends. That said, I respect the story and conclusion of Watamote and the emotional/mental growth that Tomoko went through.

I am not sure where the manga leaves us or how it differs from the anime adaptation as I have yet to read it.